Gabrielle Russon
A Gov. Ron DeSantis-appointee on the Disney World board will have a short tenure.
Michael Sasso has resigned after three months on the job.
His unexpected departure comes after his wife, Judge Meredith Sasso, was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Florida Supreme Court this week.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board, formerly known as Reedy Creek, was not able to immediately provide any additional information.
DeSantis’ office also did not immediately respond to a request to release Sasso’s resignation letter or say when the Governor is expected to name Sasso’s replacement when Florida Politics reached out Saturday morning.
Sasso is a Winter Park attorney whose specialty is “professional liability, defective construction, business and shareholder disputes, election law,” according to his website. He did not respond to a request for comment Saturday morning.
DeSantis had appointed five members who were Republican loyalists with connections and donors to the board in late February shortly after signing a bill that gave him the power to take control of the board and replace the members who previously had been selected by Disney. Board members are not paid for their work.
Whoever replaces Sasso could also find himself or herself caught up in a legal battle with Disney.
Disney is suing the board members and DeSantis in federal court as the company accused Florida officials of retaliation for speaking out over a controversial law last year that bans the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms up until third grade.
The tourism board countersued Disney in Orange Circuit Court in response and has accused Disney of trying to illegally seize control of the special taxing district by making long-term development deals with the outgoing board before the state took it over.
Since the state’s takeover, the tourism board has acted swiftly.
The board hired a new administrator who is in charge of day-to-day operations at the district that serves as a municipal government, providing roads, utilities and emergency services to the massive Disney World Resort property.
Board members have said they want to look into developing affordable housing on the district property for employees.
Tourism board members also have vowed to be more transparent, making meeting agendas more available online and live-streaming meetings.
Board member Ron Peri said he has regularly received hate mail since being appointed.
“Nothing could have prepared me for this,” he said earlier this month.
14 comments
PeterH
May 27, 2023 at 1:14 pm
Ron DeSantis is still shopping for a judge to rule on all of his failing lawsuits…..THAT THE FLORIDA TAXPAYERS WILL SUBSIDIZE THE LEGAL COSTS.
Madeline
May 29, 2023 at 6:09 am
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Dont Say FLA
May 27, 2023 at 1:25 pm
Did Ron DeSantis force Mr Sasso out after I publicized that DeSantis’ slip was showing? Or is Mr Sasso the honorable type?
Rhonda Got Played SO Hard
May 27, 2023 at 3:01 pm
Ron DeSantis thought he was placing an Ace up his sleeve for his appeal after he loses the Disney lawsuit. The Sasso’s pretended to play ball. She got the job and then he quit. Well played, Sassos. Poorly played, Rhonda.
I can hardly wait for the next episode of The Rhonda and Casey Anthony DeSantis Amateur Hour Brought To You By Twitter.
Anybody else think Mrs Sasso’s appointment will be rescinded after 5 PM on a Friday in the coming week or two by angry widdle Rhonda? Or will Rhonda wait for the Hurricane before he rescinds her appointment?
Three Days
May 27, 2023 at 3:54 pm
The time frame of interest isn’t the 3 months. It’s the 3 days.
Michael Sasso quit the Anti-Disney Board three days after Ron DeSantis put Mr Sasso and his wife into a compromising position that DeSantis obviously hoped to leverage on appeal after Disney wins their political retaliation lawsuit against Ron which Ron, a Harvard and Yale educated attorney at law, knows, KNOWS Disney will win.
Ron, a somewhat smart guy, foolishly thought he was smarter than everyone in the whole country and that nobody would realize what he was doing.
Ron and Casey DeSantis might be Florida smart, but that does not mean they’re smart. Or maybe they are smart, but Florida is not that sophisticated, so they lack the subtlety required for political manipulations under the national microscope.
Seriously, I am just a dumb ass internet commenter and even I could see what Ron was trying to achieve with his appointment of Meredith Sasso to Florida’s Supreme Court while her husband was seated on the Ron DeSantis Anti-Disney Board.
Good for the Sasso family for being above board despite Ron DeSantis trying to set them up as his lackeys.
It's the indictments, stupid
May 28, 2023 at 9:00 am
Maybe the Sasso family is honorable. Or maybe they can see the indictments coming down the Turnpike at 90 MPH toward DeSantisland.
Michaela
May 30, 2023 at 11:58 am
Agreed. At some point the ‘leading’ Florida couple will have to answer to their actions. And no, fighting Disney is not what the citizens of Florida asked for, despite what he says in his public announcements. His actions will come back to bite him in the behind….
Michaela
May 30, 2023 at 11:58 am
Agreed. At some point the ‘leading’ Florida couple will have to answer to their actions. And no, fighting Disney is not what the citizens of Florida asked for, despite what he says in his public announcements. His actions will come back to bite him in the behind….
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John Barron
May 29, 2023 at 9:38 am
Meatball & Leona just can’t keep good help around!! Is it because he’s a moron? Or because she’s a Lady MacBeth?? All you need is a trail of bodies and you’ve got Billary 2.0!!!!
Trevor Morris
May 29, 2023 at 8:37 pm
Oh no, Ron Peri agreed to do dirty work for Nazis and he is surprise people are now saying mean things about him? Remember it is always ok to punch a Nazi.
MIchaela
May 30, 2023 at 11:51 am
So, to no surprise, the crazy ‘shit’ show begins. This was to be expected. Take a very organized operation and throw politics into it, and what you get is get mayhem. Why couldn’t he just leave a good thing alone??
Joel
June 1, 2023 at 7:55 pm
Board members of the special district, including Michael Sasso, who DeSantis appointed to oversee Disney World, filed suit against Disney in state court less than a week after Disney filed its case in federal court. If Michael Sasso had remained on the board, his wife, as a sitting justice on the court, would have to recuse herself from hearing that case, and that’s a vote DeSantis is counting on. Additionally, the federal courts will defer to Florida courts for rulings on Florida law, which again, would cause Justice Sasso to recuse herself. Its legal chess.
Comments are closed.