DeSantis Enforces Legal Protection of Board Members From Brutal Disney Investigation

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis seems to have enforced new legal protections for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) Board members to evade Disney’s brutal investigation tactics over a pending lawsuit. Here’s what we know.

DeSantis Disney District Board Members Shielded From Disney’s Brutal Investigation Tactics

Some time ago, Inside The Magic reported on the news that several CFTOD board members from Disney’s governing DDistrict would have to appear before the House of Mouse under videotaped confessions in the hopes of discovering more information about a lawsuit originally first initiated by the CFTOD against Disney World.

Gov Ron DeSantis is in full force in Florida after his DeSantis campaign for President failed, and he endorsed former President Donald Trump. Since attacking Disney over gender identity issues, Florida Gov DeSantis has been on the assault, now protecting his Governing District’s board members, as per news outlets like the Associated Press, the Washington Post, NBC News, and Fox News reporting on these matters.

The legal dispute aims to invalidate the contracts between the District and Disney. The District alleges that these agreements were designed to weaken its authority over local governance. Notably, these contracts were formalized before Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed the current Board of Supervisors.

In retaliation, Disney has initiated a countersuit against the District. In the ongoing legal tussle between Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis, the Governor appears to be making gains on multiple fronts. The Walt Disney Company is striving for a favorable outcome in the courtroom as the legal battle unfolds in Orlando between Walt Disney World (WDW) and Governor Ron DeSantis.

Now, DeSantis has shielded its board members from these legal proceedings.

Legal representatives for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District have lodged Motions for Protective Orders, halting Disney’s efforts to conduct depositions of the District’s Board of Supervisors. Filed recently, just three days before the scheduled deposition of former Board Chairman Martin Garcia, these protective measures aim to shield high-ranking officials from intrusive questioning.

Citing the apex doctrine, the District contends that Board members are entitled to protection designed to bar top-tier corporate officers’ depositions. Below are the designated deposition dates and times for both current and former Board Members:

• Martin Garcia (former Board Chairman) | March 22 at 9 a.m.
• Charbel Barakat, Vice-Chairman | April 2 at 9 a.m.
• Ron Peri | April 2nd at 1 p.m.
• Bridget Ziegler | April 3 at 9 a.m.
• Brian Aungst, Jr. | April 11 at 9 a.m.
• Michael Sasso (former Board Member) | April 12 at 9 a.m.

The District has underscored that “Disney has not articulated any reasons why it presumes the right to summon these high-level government officers into depositions in the coming weeks.” Additionally, each Board member has submitted an affidavit asserting their lack of unique, personal knowledge regarding the litigated issues.

In other news, Disney has recently filed new legal documents about the ongoing litigation involving public records requests. Disney instigated this legal action against the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in December of the previous year. In its lawsuit, Disney asserts various infractions concerning public records requests, citing failures to produce, retain, and retrieve documents. These alleged violations run afoul of Florida’s Public Records Act.

Interestingly enough, Ron DeSantis was spotted recently visiting Universal Orlando Resort, a direct competitor to the Walt Disney Company. Despite his constant attack on places like Disney World, DeSantis still has a soft spot for theme park culture.