Navigation Governor orders probe into whether Disney ‘usurped’ special district’s powers
Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered Florida’s chief inspector general to investigate whether a now-defunct board controlled by the Walt Disney Co. broke any laws by transferring key regulatory powers over to Disney.
In an action just before the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) was phased out as a result of the signing of House Bill 9-B, the board passed “development and restrictive covenant agreements” with Disney, according to a letter the governor sent to Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel. The purpose of these actions was to usurp power from the newly created Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), DeSantis said.
“… Based on initial observation of counsel, the RCID board’s actions appear to suffer from serious legal infirmities, including, among other things, inadequate notice, lack of consideration, improper delegation of authority and ethical violations, such as conflicts of interest and self-dealing,” the governor’s letter says.
