Federal judge delivers devastating blow to this Leftist witch hunt
When Democrats can’t win they cry foul and take conservatives to court. But their plan isn’t working this time.
Because a federal judge delivers a devastating blow to this Leftist witch hunt.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis defeated Disney on Wednesday as a federal judge dismissed the company’s complaint claiming the governor retaliated against it.
The company filed the lawsuit after DeSantis dismantled a special Disney-controlled tax district that gave them the authority to govern themselves, claiming that he was retaliating against them for publicly criticizing his Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which empowers parents to make the best decisions for their children and protects children from being exposed to dangerous Leftist gender ideologies in school.
Politico reported that Disney had “lost a major battle” against DeSantis after U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor determined that the company lacked standing and jurisdiction in their action.
Disney said that the decision “would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with.” The business stated that it would appeal the judgment.
A DeSantis spokesperson stated that the verdict demonstrated that the Corporate Kingdom had ended in Orlando, as Republicans cheered the outcome.
“As stated by Governor DeSantis when he signed HB 9-B, the Corporate Kingdom is over,” said Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern.
“The days of Disney controlling its own government and being placed above the law are long gone. The federal court’s decision made it clear that Governor DeSantis was correct: Disney is still just one of many corporations in the state, and they do not have a right to their own special government. In short – as long predicted, case dismissed.”
For DeSantis, after dropping out of the 2024 race, this is a much needed win.
And it isn’t the only one. A different federal judge handed him a minor victory, too.
On Wednesday, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker denied injunctions sought by the University of Florida and University of South Florida chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine to prevent their deactivation on free speech grounds, citing the fact that nothing has been done to carry out the directive and the groups remain active.
At DeSantis’ request, State institution Board of Governors Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote to institution presidents in October, instructing them to dismantle Students for Justice in Palestine organizations.
He claimed the groups were breaching Florida law, which makes it a criminal to “knowingly provide material support…to a designated foreign terrorist organization.”
In response to Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel, “and leading up to a ‘Day of Resistance,’ the National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP) released a ‘toolkit’ which refers to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood as ‘the resistance’ and unequivocally states: ‘Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement,'” Rodrigues wrote.
“These chapters exist under the headship of the National Students for Justice in Palestine, who distributed a toolkit identifying themselves as part of the Operation AlAqsa Flood.”
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of the University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine chapter to avoid deactivation, but Walker claimed that Rodrigues exceeded his jurisdiction.
“This Court does not fault [the students] for feeling anxious about the fact that the Governor — arguably the most powerful man in Florida — has repeatedly disparaged [group] members as ‘terrorists,'” Walker said on Wednesday, according to Politico.
“But this Court rejects counsel’s suggestion that it should find … that [student groups have] standing simply because someone cloaked with great power makes coercive statements.”
Putting the pitying words of the judge aside, it’s a complete vindication of DeSantis and his administration’s actions.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
