“Disney sued us and now we have no choice but to respond,” he said. “The District seeks justice in state court in Central Florida, where it and Disney reside and do business.”
The case is expected to be filed later Monday.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ongoing battle between Disney and DeSantis over control of its Florida-based theme parks pits the California-based entertainment company against a powerful governor who hopes to run for president. DeSantis has touted his battle with Disney as a fight against “woke” corporations, but has faced growing criticism from Republicans in recent weeks for pursuing the conflict.
Recently, Speaker Kevin McCarthy Last week the governor said he needed to “sit down and negotiate” with the company, while GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramasamy said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that DeSantis had “really lost it here.” He has gone down the wrong path.
The fight has also fueled Democrats seeking to attack DeSantis. President Joe Biden joked during Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner: “I had a lot of Ron DeSantis jokes ready, but Mickey Mouse beat me to it and got to them first.”
But it’s not just national figures criticizing DeSantis. During Monday’s board meeting in Central Florida, local resident Douglas Dixon told board members he supported DeSantis until he started a “stupid war.”
“You guys are horrible and I honestly think you should resign,” Dixon said.
