Yet another group responsible for protecting and defending the Constitution has come to the defense of the Walt Disney Company in its feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Last week, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed court documents arguing that U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor should reject Governor DeSantis’ request to dismiss the First Amendment case brought by Disney.
Related: DeSantis Board Goes Full “Anti-Woke” Cancels All DEI and Race-Base Hiring at Disney
In their Brief, the influential group representing and offering free legal services to reporters around the country argued that should the Walt Disney Company lose this case, it could “embolden” other elected officials to squash the First Amendment Rights of companies and private citizens they disagree with.
Shortly after that Brief was filed by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, another influential group filed a brief supporting Disney. A group of former Republican Governors, Congresspeople, and other elected officials, filed a brief in Federal Court slamming Florida Gov Ron DeSantis’ actions and the corrosive effect this has had on Florida.
The ex-elected Republicans filed a “friend of the court” brief, saying Gov DeSantis’ actions were “severely damaging to the political, social, and economic fabric of the State.” They cite the loss of business to the state, including Disney’s canceled Lake Nona project. The Walt Disney Company pulled the plug on the $1 billion project citing the political climate in the state.
According to the Associated Press, the Brief says:
The path the Governor has chosen is corrosive to the form of democracy envisioned by the Constitution, and to re-emphasize this Court’s critical constitutional role in curbing the excesses of governance by retaliation. The fact that Governor DeSantis has taken these anti-democratic actions so blatantly and brazenly — that he is proud of them — only makes them all the more damaging to the political and social fabric of Florida and the country as a whole.
Disney has filed suit against Governor DeSantis after he and Florida Lawmakers stripped Disney World of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Disney is alleging government retaliation after Disney spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, known by its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
There is no timetable for Disney’s case to be heard in Federal Court.
We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.
