ORLANDO, Fla. (NEWSnet/AP) — The legal squabble between Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis escalated this week.

The Florida governor asked that the company's First Amendment lawsuit against him be dropped and Disney demanded email, text and other communication from the governor's office in a separate state court lawsuit brought by DeSantis appointees of Walt Disney World's governing district.

Confrontation started in 2022, when Disney publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. DeSantis retaliated by taking over the governing district that provides municipal services for Disney World.

Disney has sued DeSantis in federal court, claiming the governor violated its free speech rights by punishing it for expressing opposition to the law.

On Thursday, DeSantis and Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the governing district comprising DeSantis appointees, asked a federal judge to dismiss Disney’s First Amendment lawsuit, calling it meritless.

The governing district’s lawsuit is an attempt to void prior agreements that shifted control over design and construction to Disney from the district and prohibited the district from using the likeness of Disney characters or other intellectual property. Disney filed counterclaims that include asking a state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable. The company amended those counterclaims on Thursday, saying the DeSantis-controlled district is in violation of the U.S. Constitution stipulations on contracts and due process.

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