Florida Governor's Investigation Into Disney's Reedy Creek Board Ended Without Criminal Charges

The saga between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney World has been ongoing for years. In April 2022, DeSantis expanded a session of the legislature to consider the dissolution of the Reedy Creek Improvement Act as a response to Disney’s statements against the Parental Rights in Education Bill (commonly called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill).

Reedy Creek Improvement District

Since then, the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) has been dissolved, and a DeSantis-appointed board now oversees the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD). An investigation was opened by DeSantis prior to the creation of the CFTOD, and we have an update about the investigation.

Governor Ron DeSantis requested an investigation into the former Reedy Creek Improvement District back in April 2023. When requesting the investigation, DeSantis expressed concerns about a last-minute agreement between Disney and the former Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) before he signed the bill that altered the special taxing district.

Reedy Creek Building (now Central Florida Tourism Oversight District)

DeSantis asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to launch a “thorough review and investigations into the actions of the RCID Board of Supervisors.” In his letter, he wrote, “These collusive and self-dealing arrangements aim to nullify the recently-passed legislation, undercut Florida’s legislative process, and defy the will of Floridians.”

Governor DeSantis @CNBC

On June 21st, 2024, Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel sent a memorandum to DeSantis. The memo provided information on the findings of the investigations. The memo also stated that “on June 19, 2024, the OCIG was advised the FDLE-EI that their case (El-14-0187) was closed due to a lack of a criminal predicate.” The OCIG is the Office of the Chief Inspector General, and the FDLE-EI is the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Office of Executive Investigations. The OCIG also wrote in the memo that “no further investigative activity is warranted.”

©Florida Department of Law Enforcement

According to WKMG, who first reported on this story, while the investigation concluded that “there was a “blurring of the lines” between The Walt Disney Company and the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” Florida’s Chief Inspector General “quietly closed its review of the district’s former board earlier this year without making any recommendations.”

©Reedy Creek

As well, WKMG wrote that in March 2024, Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (the district that replaced RCID) reached a settlement “in a state court lawsuit that nullified the development agreement and restrictive covenants approved by the former RCID board.”