Corruption Accusations? DeSantis Board in Hot Seat Following Alarming Discovery

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board is facing some pretty severe allegations following shocking news revealed recently, further heating up the DeSantis vs. Disney political storm.

Ron DeSantis grimacing in from of Walt Disney World castle — Credit: ABC/Inside the Magic

Updates Given on the DeSantis Board vs. Disney Lawsuit

Since the last major update, some big news has come out regarding the pending lawsuit between Walt Disney World (WDW) and its governing district, the former Reedy Creek, now known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD). A Florida judge has voted in favor of WDW and has postponed the lawsuit for a further date in 2024, giving more time to put together a more significant case against the CFTOD, who failed to produce any shred of evidence in terms of documentation.

After claiming that no amount of discovery would hand Disney the victory, the CFTOD failed to produce documentation lining up with their statements. “We don’t think we should have to,” commented the CFTOD board, asking the judge to admit that the contacts between WDW and the former Reedy Creek were null and void.

In June 2023, the Reedy Creek governing board sued Disney in state court to maintain control of construction and design at Disney World. The fight between DeSantis and Disney began last year after Disney publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. Disney alleges that a retaliation campaign was “orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech.”

Ron DeSantis with his hands raised next to Mickey Mouse in a white dinner coat — Credit: Inside the Magic

In recent developments, the CFTOD has encountered allegations of insider trading and demonstrated a clear intention to disassociate from its affiliation with Disney. As reported by WFTV9, a comprehensive investigation has uncovered that the CFTOD has directed a significant $1 million investment towards a new communication network, effectively severing connections with the existing WDW system. These decisions have been officially acknowledged in a statement by CFTOD’s leader, Glen Gilzean.

In other news, a report by Fortune claims that the present administrative authority responsible for Walt Disney World, now overseen by appointees chosen by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has submitted legal documents asserting that the agreements previously established between Disney and the former governing district, predating DeSantis’s assumption of control, are deemed legally invalid.

But it would now seem that the CFTOD is facing other allegations as new information has surfaced detailing specific salaries of members of the CFTOD, run by DeSantis followers.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with the Magic Kingdom Disney World Park in the background. — Credit: Inside The Magic

According to @Jason_Garcia on X, formally Twitter, the new district administrator, Glen Glizean, demoted the district’s chief of staff so that he could give the job to a former colleague, per a report from the Orlando Sentinel.

The new district administrator – a DeSantis appointee given a fatter salary than his predecessor – demoted the district's chief of staff so he could give the job to a former colleague.

Then he gave her a promotion and $55K raise after less than 3 months on the job (to $250K/yr) https://t.co/LqGdtr3LyO

— Jason Garcia (@Jason_Garcia) November 10, 2023

Garcia went on to mention the following:

Another detail: When DeSantis appointee Glen Gilzean “applied” to become the new district administrator at the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly Reedy Creek), he listed three references. All three were DeSantis-appointed members of the CFTOD board.

Garcia then posted these findings and said the following:

Those DeSantis CFTOD board members were chair Martin Garcia, Brian Aungst and Mike Sasso (who has since resigned from the board) pic.twitter.com/NUMrnpmuCF

— Jason Garcia (@Jason_Garcia) November 10, 2023

Those DeSantis CFTOD board members were chair Martin Garcia, Brian Aungst and Mike Sasso (who has since resigned from the board)

Per the information listed above, it would seem that folks are now accusing the CFTOD of corruption following the news of these high paychecks being distributed to the board members, overseen by someone close to the Florida Governor.

“The corruption is so obvious, yet nothing is being done about it,” said one person in the comment section. “The corruption is frightening…” argued another person.

Of course, these allegations are strong but are not yet confirmed by anyone or any media outlet and should be taken with a grain of salt and inspected by the proper channels.

What are your thoughts on these recent findings from DeSantis’ board members from the CFTOD?