2
Credit: Ron DeSantisFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis has been fighting the Walt Disney Company in the courts for months now, and it turns out one of his key allies might be in quite a bit of legal trouble himself.
There have been multiple matters of conflict between Ron DeSantis and Disney since former CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against the Governor’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law (after much pressure from the public and Cast Members), but one particular grievance has become a central point: the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
Formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District basically governs the Walt Disney World area and was once considered a special concession to the massive media company that employs a significant portion of the state of Florida.
Related: Disney Officially Beat Ron DeSantis This Week
In what Disney alleges was an act of retaliation by DeSantis, the company’s special tax district was revoked, renamed, and the board was replaced by a handpicked selection by the Governor himself. One of the members has already been revealed to have taught debunked history that White people were slaves in America.
However, the chief administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board is now accused of violating state law, a major allegation against an important figure in the DeSantis-Disney conflict.
DeSantis, Disney, and Glen Gilzean Jr
In May, the DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board unanimously selected Glen Gilzean Jr as administrator, notably also giving him an eyebrow-raising salary of $400,000 (the exact same figure as the President of the United States).
However, the watchdog group Florida Bulldog has revealed that Glen Gilzean Jr’s position overseeing the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District may violate Florida Statute 112.321; in addition to his administrator job, Gilzean is the chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics, a position to which he was appointed by DeSantis himself.
The aforementioned Florida law states that “No member may hold any public employment,” which is duplicated on the Florida Commission on Ethics website.
In accepting his new position at the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, Glen Gilzean Jr likely violated the law, although it is currently unknown what fallout this may have.
Conflicts of Florida Interest and Ethics
Currently, Glen Gilzean Jr has not made any public statement about the accusations of conflict of interest, while a spokesperson for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District simply referred questions to the Florida Commission on Ethics.
The Florida Commission on Ethics, which describes itself as “the guardian of the standards of conduct for officers and employees of Florida and its political subdivisions” has also not made a statement about the alleged breach of conduct for its chairman.
On the other hand, Caroline Klancke, the executive director of the Florida Ethics Institute, says, “The membership requirements of the commissioners…[are] set forth by law. Thus, the question then remains whether his position, newly-acquired, as administrator for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, constitutes a public employment position.”
Related: DeSantis Plagiarizes Disney In Latest Political Move
The Future of DeSantis and Disney
Governor DeSantis has also not commented on the controversy around his appointee Glen Gilzean Jr, but he currently has his hands full with two different lawsuits with Disney, a faltering Presidential campaign, and crumbling support from his own Republican party.
Most recently, DeSantis asked Disney to simply drop its lawsuit against him on the grounds that he had “moved on.” It might be more difficult to move on from this particular issue with Florida law.
Will anything go right for DeSantis in his battle against Disney? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.