Disney About to Restart Political Donations in Florida Even To Politicians Who Supported ‘Don’t Say Gay’

Now that the Walt Disney Company’s feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is over, there is both fear and hope that Disney is about to restart its political donations to Florida lawmakers. During the nearly two-year spat with Gov Ron DeSantis, they halted all political donations to Florida lawmakers they believed weren’t sympathetic to their cause or who support the Parental Rights in Education Act, known by its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

In 2022, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek turned off the Disney money waterfall to any lawmaker who supported the legislation. According to Politico, during the 2020 election cycle, the Walt Disney Company donated $4.8 million to candidates in Florida of both parties.

There is excitement among those who Disney cut off, and the donations will start again, especially in the heavily Republican state legislature. Like most political donations, this ensures that Disney and Disney World will have a say in any future legislation.

The Walt Disney Company’s political donations paid for an exemption to Florida’s 2021 Tech Company law, which would allow the state to punish social media companies for removing posts or refusing to publish posts from certain media companies or political figures, even if those posts violated the company’s rules on hate speech, violent incitements, or disinformation.

A $50,000 contribution to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign, with the help of one of his aides, who now happens to be the administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversite District, helped get Disney a carveout from state law.

However, not everyone is excited about Disney’s return to political donations. The Educational Foundation of America, a charitable trust funding progressive causes that also happens to be a Disney shareholder, wants Disney to be more transparent about whom it gives political contributions and to refuse to provide them to any lawmaker who refuses to support abortion rights, does not fight for the environment, or fought against Disney in its battle with the Florida governor.

Laura Nixon, the Educational Foundation of America Reproductive Health and Justice Program Director, told Florida Politics:

We believe it’s time for Disney to provide accountability to shareholders that it is spending its political dollars wisely and in alignment with its core principles and interests. In recent years, Disney contributed over $100,000 to an administration that took aim at Disney’s employees, mocked the company’s values at a national level and then punished Disney by diminishing its tax breaks and degree of self-governance.

Related: Disney Should Have Been In Front of the Supreme Court This Week But Bought Its Way Out

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently said that the Walt Disney Company’s purpose is to entertain, but that does not mean they will get out of politics entirely. The political contributions haven’t stopped in California, where Disney seeks approval for its DisneylandForward project.

With several new projects on the horizon for Disney World, the company will also need the help of local politicians. So, despite the feud with Gov Ron DeSantis being over, Disney hasn’t left Florida politics behind, and it probably never will.

What do you think of large corporations like Disney freely making political donations? Let us know in the comments.