In the midst of Florida Republicans’ ongoing tiff with the Walt Disney Company, CNBC invited two local legislators onto their morning show Squawk Box to duke it out.

Democratic Orlando Rep. Anna Eskamani and Brevard County weasel Rep. Randy Fine offered their takes on the fight against the company’s mild and ineffectual criticisms. And Eskamani took the opportunity to drag Fine over the coals for the Disney money in his political war chest.

“Randy Fine has taken over $20,000 from Disney in political contributions. This ‘woke money’ he has not yet returned,” said Eskamani. “I think there’s a lot of hypocrisy coming from the right.”

Eskamani’s comments came after Fine alleged that Disney was running afoul of its fiduciary duty to shareholders by speaking out against legislation harmful to LGBTQ people. She noted that she has never taken a dime in political contributions from Disney and could not afford to visit the parks growing up. Ultimately, Eskamani linked Republican outrage to Disney turning off the money spigot after facing backlash for the way it handled the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Related

“That’s really what this about. Florida Republicans want Disney to get back in line, continue to donate to their coffers and be silent in the face of injustice,” Eskamani said.

Eskamani also shared that she’s open to a reconsideration of the special treatment afforded Disney, but not without also examining the tax breaks given to other Florida theme parks.

“If you want to talk about the free market, I’m your girl,” she said. “You haven’t addressed … a heavy hand of government in giving treats to those who are nice to them and punishing [other companies].”

–
Stay on top of Central Florida news and views with our weekly newsletters, and consider supporting this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you Central Florida news, and every little bit helps.

Related Stories

This article appears in Apr 20-26, 2022.