Disney sues DeSantis, calling park takeover ‘retaliation’

FILE – A statue of Walt Disney and Micky Mouse stands in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Jan. 9, 2019. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ oversight board of Disney World has voted to claw back authority over the company’s theme park properties. The vote Wednesday, April 26, 2023, by the governor’s appointees voids a last-minute deal that placed control of theme park design and construction decisions Disney’s hands. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Disney is suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the Republican’s takeover of its theme park district, alleging Wednesday that the governor waged a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” after the company opposed a law critics call “Don’t Say Gay.” The suit was filed minutes after a Disney World oversight board appointed by DeSantis voted to void a deal that placed theme park design and construction decisions in the company’s hands. The DeSantis board said Disney’s move to retain control over their property was effectively unlawful and performed without proper public notice.