Disney recently brought a lawsuit against Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, claiming political retaliation over requiring Disney World to remain closed. However, Disney has agreed to drop several claims, except for free speech violations.
The lawsuit was a response to DeSantis’ signing of an executive order in 2020 banning companies who had “acted to limit or impede any Floridian’s participation in the political process” from receiving any new tax subsidies.
Disney argued that it was being discriminated against for its political contributions to the Democratic National Committee and other liberal-leaning organizations, and that DeSantis’ order was unconstitutional.
Disney filed a federal lawsuit in December, and the parties had a settlement hearing this week. At the hearing, Disney agreed to drop several claims made against the Florida governor, but will only proceed with their free speech violation claims.
Disney’s attorney, Ben Litman, argued that any other political retaliation claims were “nothing but a distraction,” and that the free speech claims are what really matter.
DeSantis has argued that the law is aimed at preventing companies with political views and agendas that are hostile to Floridians from receiving any new tax subsidies. It is unclear whether DeSantis’ order would have applied to any new subsidies Disney might have received in the future.
At this time, it is unclear how the free speech claims will pan out, but the dropping of the other claims could be seen as a win for DeSantis.
This case is part of the larger controversy of companies attempting to make their political agendas known through tax subsidies. Although this case has yet to be heard in a courtroom, it exemplifies the fierce battle between public markets and political agendas. It will be interesting to see the outcome of the free speech claims against DeSantis and how that could affect the future of politics and public policy.