DeSantis Accused Of Major Crime
On Saturday, David Jolly, a former Florida GOP lawmaker, made an accusation of “some type of public corruption” against Governor Ron DeSantis, concerning his “war” with Disney.
According to Newsweek, earlier this week, Governor Ron DeSantis revealed new legislation aimed at Disney World, which is situated close to Orlando. This is the latest development in his ongoing conflict with the company. In the previous year, Disney had voiced its opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida, which restricts conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s schools. The governor responded negatively to Disney’s stance, sparking a backlash.
There is speculation that Governor Ron DeSantis may run as a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election. He has been focusing his efforts on the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is an arrangement that allows Disney to govern itself within its theme parks. On Tuesday, the governor unveiled a new law that would nullify this agreement. He also joked that he could construct a prison close to the parks.
David Jolly, a former Republican Party member, had represented a fiercely contested congressional district close to St. Petersburg between 2014 and 2017. He became an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump and left the party. Jolly recently appeared on The Katie Phang Show on MSNBC to criticize Governor DeSantis’ recent actions.
During his appearance on The Katie Phang Show on MSNBC, David Jolly accused Governor DeSantis of corruption for singling out a particular corporation, although he clarified that this does not fulfill the legal description of public corruption. Governor DeSantis has justified his position by arguing that Disney should not be given preferential treatment over other companies operating in Florida.
“Ron DeSantis is somebody who thinks he is the smartest person in the room. Who does not want to be challenged. What we saw in his response to Disney’s public criticism of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is, while not under the legal terms, public corruption—it’s some type of public corruption of the governor using the levers of the state to target a specific corporation,” Jolly stated.
David Jolly expressed that he believes Governor DeSantis’ opposition to Disney is motivated by “vanity and vengeance” and is a form of “retribution.” He further commented that this conflict has attracted criticism from within the Republican Party.