DeSantis Wants $19 Million of Taxpayer Money To Fight Disney Lawsuits

It is no secret that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is facing a number of lawsuits, including a Disney First Amendment case in federal court and his Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board being bogged down with legal demands. In order to deal with the lawsuits, the presidential hopeful is asking taxpayers for nearly 20 million dollars worth of state funds earmarked for litigation, a huge increase from the previous budget.

Mickey Mouse statue with Ron DeSantis — Credit: Disney/Fox, edited by ITM

DeSantis’ proposed budget for Florida’s 2024-2025, titled Focus on Florida’s Future, is asking the state legislature for an unprecedented $19 million worth of funds to fight 14 different lawsuits (per ClickOrlando). This is a 36% increase over last year’s budget, which is fair to say is a big leap.

The requested $19 million proposal includes $4 million for lawsuits that Governor DeSantis is specifically named in, like Disney v. DeSantis, the pending case in which the Parks, Experiences, and Products division of Disney accuses the governor, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity acting secretary Meredith Ivey, and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of directors of violating the company’s First Amendment rights by dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District in political retaliation.

Reedy Creek on the left and Governor Ron DeSantis on the right — Credit: Inside the Magic

DeSantis’ proposal says of the funds requested to specifically defend the governor himself:

“The department has legal staff and resources to handle ongoing lawsuits. However, in recent years, the department has been involved in a large number of time-sensitive, short-deadline cases, and the resources required to effectively handle the litigation duties have necessitated hiring outside counsel.”

Florida House of Representatives Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell asked in a recent legislative session:

“How much money is in the budget for litigation defense on behalf of the state where we’re dealing with constitutionality, challenges to some of these laws that have passed? I think I’ve noticed a trend over the years where this budget is increasing, so can you tell me how much is in the budget for the 2023 session?”

Ron DeSantis with Mickey Mouse in a silver suit — Credit: NBC, edited by ITM

Governor DeSantis and Disney have been locked in an increasing number of legal conflicts since the spring of 2023, with the House of Mouse putting increasing pressure on the politician and the CFTOD with legal maneuvers. It seems that all those legal filings are taking a toll on DeSantis’ budget, and he’s hoping that the taxpayers will pay for it.

Inside the Magic reached out to Governor DeSantis and Representative Driskell for comment, but has not heard back by the time of publishing.

Do you think taxpayers should pay more for DeSantis’ lawsuits against Disney and others? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!