Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Credit: Office of the Gov. Ron DeSantis DeSantis Takeover of Disney's Home District Inflated Its Legal Budget by More Than 60%, Mostly Going to District's New Counsel
The biggest beneficiary is Winter Park-based boutique Fishback Dominick, which earned nearly $700,000 in the second half of 2023 from the Central Florida Oversight Tourism District. The firm hadn't previously billed the entity in recent years.
February 21, 2024 at 05:00 AM
5 minute read
What You Need to Know
- Disney's home district saw a 60% budget increase following Gov. Ron DeSantis' takeover of the district.
- Most of the new money went to one local law firm, which is charging the district almost as much as Greenberg Traurig.
- The legal budget is set to triple again this year as litigation over DeSantis' feud with Disney mounts.
The Central Florida Oversight Tourism District, formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, saw its legal budget skyrocket following Gov. Ron DeSantis' takeover of the district last year, with most of the new money going to one law firm.
The takeover of the district came after Disney's then-CEO Bob Chapek criticized Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, causing a feud between DeSantis and Disney. Eventually, the Florida Legislature crafted a bill to remove Reedy Creek's special district status, revoking Disney's control over the Orlando district in which its theme parks sit that dated back to 1967.
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