Ron DeSantis has asked the Florida Inspector General to investigate whether a now-defunct Disney-appointed board spent $2 million in taxpayer dollars on perks.
The DeSantis administration took over Disney’s governing body in February, replacing it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District amid an ongoing battle between the entertainment giant and the conservative governor.
The governor’s hand-picked board told the state’s inspector general Monday that the previous board paid Disney more than $2 million in 2022 for its members to receive season passes and discounts on merchandise, hotels, food and beverages.
Members of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, as the organization was formerly known, gave $492,382.96 for park tickets, $16,837.39 for merchandise discounts, $4,969.52 for food and beverage discounts, and $3,764.48 for a water park discount, according to documents obtained by the New York Post.
According to the bill, district employees also spent thousands on resort stays at Disney’s Yacht Club, Disney Caribbean Beach and Disney Coronado Springs.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked the state’s inspector general to investigate whether a now-defunct Disney-appointed board misused taxpayer dollars
Members of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, as the organization was formerly known, gave $492,382.96 for park tickets, $16,837.39 for merchandise discounts, $4,969.52 for food and beverage discounts, and $3,764.48 for a water park discount
The district recorded total receipts of $169,012,258 and total expenses of $178,736,100.
The new board combed through thousands of documents looking for inappropriate behavior by its predecessors.
A Florida law caps directors’ compensation at $100 per month.
The new board’s motion is the latest step in the battle between DeSantis and Disney.
Earlier this month, the new board scrapped all of Disney’s diversity, equality and inclusion programs.
DeSantis’ handpicked committee accused the defunct Reedy Creek Improvement District of “discriminating against Americans on the basis of sex and race, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.”
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District said the cut DEI programs resembled a “race hiring” and “implemented hiring and contracting programs that discriminated against Americans.”
A statement from the board went on to say that the decision came after an investigation into Reedy Creek’s past policies, which it called “illegal and simply un-American.”
“The district DEI committee will be dissolved and all DEI duties will be eliminated.” “Staff will also no longer be allowed to use their time to pursue DEI initiatives,” said district administrator Glenton Gilzean, a longtime ally by DeSantis.
Back in February, DeSantis officially took control of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District in its war with the “corporate kingdom.”
The move gave him the power to appoint the board and force Disney to pay $700 million in taxes and debt.
Disney responded by suing the governor, accusing DeSantis of punishing the company for its opinions, violating its rights to free speech.
The new board’s motion is the latest step in the battle between DeSantis and Disney
The war between Disney and the Florida governor began when then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek released a statement condemning DeSantis for the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law
Disney has sued the governor, accusing DeSantis of punishing the company for its opinions, violating its rights to free speech. Pictured is current Disney CEO Bob Iger
In the filing, executives accused DeSantis and Florida of a “targeted government retaliation campaign” in the fight sparked by Disney’s criticism of the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.
The Sunshine State now has power over the formerly self-governing special tax-exempt district, which encompasses the entire Walt Disney World Resort, established in 1967.
The special tax district is home to the Disney World and Walt Disney World resorts, employs 75,000 people and attracts 50 million visitors each year.
The new board is made up of businesspeople, attorneys and school board members from across the state.
Previously, the Reedy Creek Improvement District had the same powers as a county government, making its own rules and being self-governing.
The acquisition was the culmination of a nearly year-long battle between DeSantis and Disney stemming from the passage of the Parental Rights in Education Act.
Then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek released a statement condemning DeSantis for what critics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law because it prevents educators from engaging in discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity to include them in their curricula from kindergarten through third grade.
This comes after Chapek, who is no longer CEO of Disney, said he would not comment on the matter. But the day after the bill passed, the former CEO condemned it and offered a $5 million donation to the LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
In response to the controversy, Disney paused its political campaign donations in Florida and evaluated its “approach to advocacy, including political donations, in Florida.”