Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a campaign rally on June 26, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas.
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Attorneys for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday asked a federal court to dismiss Disney’s political retaliation lawsuit, arguing that he and a minimum of one other defendant are “immune” because the corporate lacks standing to sue them.
The attorneys also argued that Disney’s criticism — that DeSantis targeted the corporate after it denounced the controversial state classroom bill derided as “Don’t Say Gay” by critics — “fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted.”
A spokesman for Disney didn’t immediately reply to CNBC’s request for comment on the court filing.
The governor’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit comes as he has leaned into his drawn-out battle with Disney while campaigning within the Republican presidential primary. The fight between DeSantis, the highest GOP contender behind former President Donald Trump, and Disney, one in every of Florida’s top employers, has been brewing for well over a 12 months.
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