State clears Disney World’s ex-governing board of criminal wrongdoing

The former leaders of Disney World’s previous governing board have been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing after Gov. Ron DeSantis called for an investigation last year, according to a new report by WKMG ClickOrlando.

With little fanfare, Florida’s Chief Inspector General ended the investigation into what was then known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) before DeSantis reshaped it last year. 

State records obtained by the Orlando news station noted there was “blurring of the lines” between The Walt Disney Co. and its governing district, but ultimately the Inspector General decided not to take any further action.

Last year, DeSantis requested Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel to work with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate RCID.

DeSantis and Disney infamously feuded in a culture war clash that made international headlines as the Governor ran for President.

A hesitant Bob Chapek, then Disney’s CEO, spoke out against state legislation dealing with LGBTQ+ issues, which prompted Republican leaders to target Disney. DeSantis attacked Disney at press conferences and pushed changes in the law to strip the company of its governing board and allow DeSantis to appoint new members. The state also opened up Disney World’s monorail to government inspectors for the first time.

Before the DeSantis appointees took over Disney’s governing board, the exiting board members approved long-term development agreements with Disney that limited the incoming board’s power.

DeSantis responded by asking for a state investigation to see if any civil or criminal laws had been broken.

Disney denied it had done anything wrong at the time.

Since then, the fight between Disney World and Florida has simmered down. Pending litigation has been settled and Disney’s governing board with DeSantis appointees operates without the political fireworks it once did. Disney World is moving forward on a multibillion-dollar expansion at its theme parks with the help of its governing board that oversees Disney World’s roads, emergency services and utilities.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times recently released a new report on how Disney is steering clear of politics.

“Politics is bad for business,” Charles Elson, a former director at the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, said in the story.