A clear win for Gov. DeSantis in the 2-year-long battle over Disney World. Today a judge dismissed the case Disney filed against DeSantis arguing that his attempt to take control of the district where the park operates was retaliation for the company’s freedom of speech.

In a victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit filed by the Walt Disney Company claiming that Mr. DeSantis and his allies violated the First Amendment by taking over a special tax district that encompasses Walt Disney World…

On Wednesday, Judge Allen Winsor in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee dismissed the federal case in its entirety. In its lawsuit, Disney had accused Mr. DeSantis of a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint.” The campaign, the company had added, “now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region and violates its constitutional rights.”

But Judge Winsor found that the law giving Mr. DeSantis control of the special tax district was written in a way that — on its face — did not allow Disney to claim retaliation, mostly because Disney was not the only landowner affected.

Judge Windsor also found that Disney had failed to allege any injury from the takeover of the district.

Disney also failed to show damages from specific actions the new board has taken or will take because of the governor’s alleged control of it, the judge wrote.

“In fact, Disney has not alleged any specific injury from any board action,” Winsor said.

Disney has said it plans to appeal the decision:

In a statement to CNN, a Disney spokesperson said the company was not deterred by the ruling and planned to “press forward” with its case.

“This is an important case with serious implications for the rule of law, and it will not end here,” the spokesperson said. “If left unchallenged, this 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. We are determined to press forward with our case.”

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Governor said it was over.

DeSantis press secretary Jeremy Redfern reiterated a phrase used by the governor in regard to Disney: “The Corporate Kingdom is over.”

“The days of Disney controlling its own government and being placed above the law are long gone,” he said in response to the ruling. “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.

I think the real story is the dozens of commentators on the left and right who got this wrong.

pic.twitter.com/bjMKgLAPSM

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 31, 2024

A group of Republicans filed an amicus brief claiming DeSantis had sided with autocrats.

Saying Gov. Ron DeSantis has followed the autocratic examples of governments in Russia and China, a group of mostly Republican former high-level government officials has called the Florida governor’s takeover of Disney World’s governing district “severely damaging to the political, social, and economic fabric of the State.”

The group of former governors, U.S. House members and presidential administration officials filed a “friend of the court” brief on Wednesday in Disney’s federal lawsuit against DeSantis and his appointees to the board of Disney World’s governing district…

The group is made up of two former GOP governors, Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and Arne Carlson of Minnesota; three former Republican U.S. House members, Tom Coleman of Missouri, Claudine Schneider of Rhode Island and Christopher Shays of Connecticut; and a host of attorneys, commissioners, chiefs of staff and other officials from previous Democratic and Republican presidential administrations.

And let’s not forget Trump himself who was quick to jump on DeSantis over this claiming the state would lose business or maybe sell out.

“Disney’s next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “In fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing. Watch! That would be a killer. In the meantime, this is all so unnecessary, a political STUNT!”

Could still happen I guess, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Anyway, this is a win for DeSantis and all the people who argued Disney was going to win the case are not looking so hot today. There is still an ongoing case in state court so this isn’t completely over yet.