Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference in Wildwood, Florida, on June 6, 2023, as he signs a bill protecting the digital rights of Floridians bill.
Paul Hennessy | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Lawyers for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recommend disneyThe civil suit against him should be scheduled a few months after the November 2024 presidential election.
DeSantis asked for the trial to begin on Aug. 4, 2025, more than two years after the company filed its complaint.But according to Disney, the program should begin on July 15, 2024 archive It will be heard Tuesday in Tallahassee federal court.
If the court agrees with Disney, the political retaliation case against DeSantis will be heard on the first day of the trial. Republican National Convention. The Republican governor is the party’s top contender for the presidential nomination.
Disney declined to comment on whether its proposed trial date was a coincidence or a deliberate move. A spokesman for DeSantis’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis and other Florida officials is just the latest battleground in a long-running feud between the state’s powerful governor and one of his top employers.
DeSantis and his GOP allies took aim at the special tax district that enables Walt Disney World in Florida to work, shortly after Disney’s controversial state classroom bill was derided by critics as “don’t say gay.” self-government for decades.
In February, DeSantis replaced five of the school district’s board members with his preferred pick. In March, the new recruits accused Disney of stripping them of power by signing long-term development contracts shortly before they took over. The DeSantis-backed board accused the company of undermining its authority over the region and voted to annul the contracts.
Disney filed a lawsuit accusing DeSantis of “targeted government retaliation” for speech protected by the First Amendment. The company asked the court to restore the contract and Disney World’s autonomous status. The commission has filed a countersuit in state court.
The latest federal court filing — a joint report by the parties in the case following a June 15 video conference — comes a day after DeSantis filed a motion to dismiss Disney’s lawsuit. His lawyers argued that he and at least one other defendant were “immune” from the lawsuit and that Disney had no standing to sue them.
DeSantis’ attorneys argued in the joint report that the pre-trial evidence-sharing process, known as discovery, should be suspended pending the outcome of the dismissal of the case.
Disney’s lawyers opposed the request. Doing so, they argued, “would cause significant damage” as alleged political reprisals against the company continued.
Lawyers for DeSantis and the other defendants said they believed it was “premature” to set a timetable for the case as they worked to have the suit dismissed. The lawyers proposed a timeline for the discovery process to be completed by Jan. 3, 2025.
Disney suggested the process should end a year early.