Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Chairman Martin Garcia said that Disney dropping four of its five claims in its federal court case against the board and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) proves the charges were "bogus" and a "publicity stunt."

The chairman of the board, which was appointed by DeSantis and has governed over the area encompassing the Walt Disney World Resort since February, addressed Disney's recent move to drop charges in lengthy remarks at a board meeting on Wednesday.

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"It is a noteworthy event when lawyers voluntarily dismiss causes of actions against defendants. In doing so, Disney has all but admitted it knew that the federal charges against this board were bogus, and, moreover, that the filing of them constituted a publicity stunt — not to mention a repugnant one that took place at the expense of both the integrity of the legal system and of the economic interests of the taxpayers in this district," Garcia said.

"This board is also fully confident that, when all is said and done, the eleventh-hour contracts that Disney entered into with the old Reedy Creek board will be recognized as void and meet a similar fate as Disney’s federal court dismissal," he continued.

Garcia also called Disney's action to only keep one charge on alleged violations of free speech "if not an earthquake, then at least a major tremor" and an "extraordinary concession."

The board and Disney are engaged in dueling lawsuits in state and federal court, with DeSantis also being involved in the federal lawsuit.

The lawsuit in federal court now only constitutes a single claim on First Amendment grounds, where Disney alleges a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials." The lawsuit in state court, filed by the board in response to the federal lawsuit, deals with the legality of the board's actions to void an agreement Disney entered with the previous board, which undercut the DeSantis-appointed board's power over the Disney World district.

After addressing the recent legal move by Disney, Garcia ripped into Disney's conduct when it controlled the formerly named Reedy Creek Improvement District, saying the company "exploited the generosity of the people of Florida."

"It's worth quickly reminding the public how we arrived at this point. Disney exploited the generosity of the people of Florida over the years through the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act. What worked in the early years to spark economic development in Central Florida, later proved to be an urban planning quagmire with horrific governance practices," Garcia said. "A light was finally shined on this problem, and Disney got caught. Disney used the 1967 act to establish footing in Central Florida to minimize, if not eliminate, all hurdles in its campaign to mold the district to serve the best interests of Disney at the expense of the public good."

"Along the way, it seized control of local government through a variety of unsavory means. Politely, the Reedy Creek Improvement District could have been described as a 'public-private partnership.' In reality, in terms of scope and scale, it became one of the greatest examples of corporate cronyism in modern American history," he continued.

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Garcia then concluded his prepared remarks by saying he is "tremendously proud" of the work the board has done since being appointed in February and vowed to continue to work for "residents, employees, tourists, and all of our other constituents."

The dispute between Disney and DeSantis, which led to the restructuring of the Central Florida district encompassing the Walt Disney World Resort, began after the company condemned Florida's parental rights in education law in 2022.