A federal judge in Florida has stepped aside from a court case involving Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis.
However, he strongly criticized the governor’s legal team for engaging in “rank judge shopping.”
Chief Judge Mark E. Walker of the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida announced his decision in a ruling on Thursday, June 1.
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The case, filed by Disney last month, alleges that Governor DeSantis and a government services board at Disney World have engaged in targeted retaliation.
The case has been reassigned to Judge Allen C. Winsor, appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2019.
Gov. DeSantis’s lawyers had sought to disqualify Judge Walker, who was appointed by President Barack Obama.
They cited remarks he made in unrelated cases regarding DeSantis’s actions against Disney last year.
They argued that these remarks could create doubts about the judge’s impartiality.
Read More: Disney seeks lawsuit dismissal in ongoing feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Disney’s lawyers opposed the disqualification request, and Judge Walker agreed with them, ruling that the cited remarks did not raise doubts about his impartiality.
However, in an unexpected development, Judge Walker recused himself after learning that a relative of his owned 30 shares of Disney stock.
He said he had no choice but to step aside due to the potential impact on his relative’s financial interest.
Read More: Disney still plans to invest in Florida which could create 13,000 new jobs
DeSantis appointed Charbel Barakat, a Tampa lawyer, and former “Jeopardy!” champion, to fill a vacancy on the board that oversees government services at Disney World.
The appointment comes amid the ongoing conflict between the governor and Disney.
The clash began in March 2022 when Disney criticized a Florida education law limiting classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Since then, Florida legislators, influenced by Governor DeSantis, have targeted Disney with various measures.
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In February, they granted the governor control over government services at Disney World, ending the company’s self-governance.
The board members appointed by Governor DeSantis discovered that the previous Disney-controlled board had approved contracts that locked in a growth plan for the resort.
Attempts to void these agreements have led to lawsuits, with Disney suing Governor DeSantis and his allies in federal court, while the governor’s appointees have responded in state court.
