Disney’s Princess Tiana appears on the invitations to Democratic state Sen. Geraldine Thompson’s fundraiser next month, and with that image comes the return of a major player in Florida politics.
The Walt Disney Co. provided theme park tickets, Thompson said, in what’s known as an in-kind contribution. It could be the first contribution to a Florida politician in more than two years from the entertainment giant, once one of the biggest donors to Democrats and Republicans alike.
In March 2022, Disney suspended all political contributions in Florida in the wake of the controversy over the Parental Rights in Education Act that some call the Don’t Say Gay law, which bans instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in schools.
Then-CEO Bob Chapek stated his opposition to the bill after criticism from some fans and the LGBTQ+ community for not speaking out.
Before the pause, Disney had given about $55 million to Republicans, Democrats and political committees in the state over the previous 28 years, including about $5 million in 2020 and more than $2 million in just the first two months of 2022, state records show.
Friends of Ron DeSantis, a political committee associated with the governor, got more than $100,000 in 2019.
Chapek’s comment kicked off a battle between Disney and DeSantis that included the state takeover of the company-run district that oversaw Walt Disney World government services and dueling lawsuits.
But with a settlement reached in March between the state and the company, now run again by CEO Bob Iger after Chapek’s firing in late 2022, Disney appears ready to open its wallet back up in Florida.
“For a company the size of Disney to say that they’re going to take a break and not donate, that you could understand,” said Aubrey Jewett, a professor of political science at the University of Central Florida. “But to permanently stay out of the influence business? That would have been pretty hard to believe.”
Thompson, D-Orlando, whose district in southwest Orange County includes Walt Disney World, said direct political contributions from the company have not yet started back up.
But she said Disney is providing in-kind contributions, in which a donor provides services, products or other benefits, to herself and at least one other state lawmaker she did not name.
“While they can’t write checks, this is an opportunity for me to raise funds for my campaign and with substantial support from them,” she said. “Not in (cash) dollar amounts, though.”
Disney spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
According to the invitation, a $250 contributor to Thompson would receive one pass to a Walt Disney World park, while $500 gets two park passes, $700 gets three and $1,000 gets four. All donors receive access to a dinner and fireworks display at the end of the June 7 fundraiser.
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Explore all your optionsThe monetary value of Disney park tickets varies from $149 to $210.50 for Florida residents on June 7, according to the company’s website.
In-kind contributions must be reported in campaign filings, but contributions for the April-May period don’t have to be filed until June 10. Filings must then be made every two weeks until the election.
Asked whether Disney would be starting to make cash donations in Florida again soon, Thompson said she understood it would have to be approved by higher-ups at the company’s California headquarters.
“They’re waiting to hear from Burbank,” Thompson said.
The under-the-radar return of contributions “is about what I would have expected,” Jewett said.
“Disney made a big splash when they said they were putting a hold on donations,” Jewett said. “For their reentry, strategically it would make sense for them to just quietly start doing things and not make a big deal of it. Disney has probably decided they want to avoid being in the headlines for political things.”
Whether other lawmakers and candidates and state parties have begun to receive in-kind contributions from Disney is unclear.
The Florida Democratic Party held its annual Leadership Blue event earlier this month at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. In 2021, before the pause, Disney gave the party $114,761 worth of free rooms, food and drink, state records show.
Asked if any in-kind contributions were made by Disney this year, party spokeswoman Eden Giagnorio said they were “still reconciling expenses” for the period.
The Republican Party of Florida received nearly $142,000 in in-kind donations of rooms, food and drink from Disney from 2021 to early 2022, according to Politico. State GOP chairperson Evan Power did not respond to a question about any current Disney in-kind spending.
©2024 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
