Republican Florida AG seeks documents from former Reedy Creek executive

Florida’s top attorney has joined the war between Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis, a day after it was revealed the company’s previous board had taken advantage of them by passing restrictive agreements that stripped power of the new board.

Attorney General Ashley Moody’s chief of staff James Percival sent a letter to former Reedy Creek Improvement District board members on Thursday, requesting copies of all communications related to the vote. However, legal experts now say the order “cannot be appealed”.

“Please limit your search to documents that discuss an intent or goal to circumvent, avoid, frustrate, mitigate, or otherwise avoid the effects of anticipated actions by the Florida Governor and the Florida Legislature.” , the letter reads, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Disney used an obscure legal clause that King Charles III. includes name checks to strip DeSantis’ board of directors of its powers during a February 8 vote.

Despite the evasions, DeSantis has remained optimistic. “There’s a lot of little back-and-forth now as the state takes control, but rest assured, you know, you haven’t seen anything,” he told a crowd in Georgia on Sunday.

Ron DeSantis teased that Disney may not have gotten the last laugh in their bitter struggle

The Reedy Creek Improvement District covers nearly 40 square miles and encompasses the entire Walt Disney World Resort. It will be renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District under the new bill

Government agencies like Reedy Creek are required by Florida’s Sunshine Law to act in the public interest, hold public deliberations, and hold meetings with reasonable public notice.

Violations of the law may void actions taken by directors and members may be subject to a fine of up to $500 and/or 60 days in prison.

In a statement, Disney said all agreements went overboard and took place publicly.

“All agreements signed between Disney and the District were reasonable and were discussed and approved in open, respected public forums in accordance with the Florida government’s Sunshine Act,” the statement said.

Florida AG Moody is a DeSantis loyalist who is a supporter of ex-President Donald Trump.

The five new officers were appointed to the board by the Republican governor after the Florida legislature overhauled the Disney administration in retaliation for the entertainment giant publicly opposing the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation that banned the Teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten prohibits up to the third grade as well as teaching that is not considered age-appropriate.

Jake Schumer, a community attorney at the Orlando law firm of Shepard, Smith, Kohlmyer & Hand, told WESH that the hands of the newly appointed DeSantis board are tied on how to leverage his own land thanks to moves by the previous board.

“So it can’t build a building higher than four stories. It has to talk to Disney before it builds anything on its own lot, and that’s very exceptional,” Schumer said.

Schumer continued today that a challenge by the new board would likely have to go all the way to the Supreme Court, which could take up to five years unless an agreement is reached first.

He also said that taxpayers shouldn’t worry about a lengthy legal battle since Disney’s board of directors’ legal fees are paid for by the company’s taxes.

In a separate interview with the Miami Herald, Schumer said that the new board is still responsible for “basically leaving the lights on and keeping the streets moving.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the district is prohibited from using the Disney name or theme park resort-related symbols without the company’s permission, nor may it use the likeness of Mickey Mouse, any other Disney character, or other intellectual property therein use any way.

In the event of violations, the company can sue for damages, and according to the declaration, the agreement applies forever.

Sensationally, the dossier states that the provisions will remain in effect until “21 years after the death of the last surviving descendant of King Charles III, King of England, who is alive at the time of this declaration”.

This “last survivor” is one-year-old Princess Lilibet of Sussex, who lives in California.

The so-called “King Clause” is used by lawyers to avoid rules against contracts that last forever. The British royals were chosen because information about their family tree is readily available and because the family has a “longer life expectancy” in general, according to law firm Bricketts.

“It’s a throwback. They had fun,” Schumer told the Herald.

Another legal expert, JC Planas, who lectures on Disney’s district, told the Herald, “A development order like this cannot be appealed.”

“There’s no proxy for the governor. There is no standing on behalf of the new board. The only ones standing are the residents because it’s a development agreement,” he continued.

By taking on Disney, DeSantis cemented his reputation as a culture warrior willing to battle perceived political enemies and wield state government power to achieve political goals, a strategy that is expected to continue ahead of his potential White House run .

The new regulators replaced a board that had been controlled by Disney for the past 55 years that the government had operated as the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

The new board members held their first meeting earlier this month and said they learned of the agreement after their appointment.

“We have to deal with this and correct it,” said board member Brian Aungst on Wednesday. “It’s a subversion of the will of the voters and the legislature and the governor. It completely bypasses the authority of this body to govern.’