DeSantis ally has conflict-of-interest by serving on Disney district, legal opinion states

MIAMI — An ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis violated Florida law when he took a job overseeing Disney World’s district in Central Florida while also serving as chair of the state ethics commission, according to a legal opinion released Thursday.

Glen Gilzean must now choose between remaining administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District or keeping his position on the Florida ethics commission.

State law prohibits public employees from serving on the ethics commission — an issue first raised by the investigative news organization Florida Bulldog. It was initially unclear whether Gilzean’s job as administrator — a job that comes with a $400,000 salary — qualified as “public employment.”

The job of Central Florida Tourism Oversight District administrator is similar to that of a city manager. District officers report to Gilzean and he’s the link between Disney, as well as other businesses in the region, and the district’s board.

Steven Zuilkowski, the general counsel for the ethics commission, determined the violation existed after Gilzean asked him to look into it, writing in his request that he didn’t “want there to be any appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Zuilkowski’s legal opinion states that Gilzean previously spoke with him and another ethics officer in April about the conflict, according to the legal memo, posted first by the Orlando Sentinel. Gilzean told both officers at the time that he’d “received legal advice elsewhere about holding both positions” and would contact Zuilkowski if he wanted his legal opinion. He wanted to keep his “calling for public service” and commitment to finishing his term on the ethics commission, the analysis said.

DeSantis’ office and a representative for Gilzean did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Before starting his role overseeing the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, Gilzean and other members of the ethics commission dismissed an ethics complaint against DeSantis from MAGA Inc., a political action committee that backs former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

The complaint accused DeSantis of running a “shadow” campaign for president under the auspices of a promotional book tour but not making a White House run official — something he didn’t do until May 24. The committee determined the complaint had no “factual basis.”

The five board members who run the district surrounding Disney, who were themselves handpicked by DeSantis, tapped Gilzean to the role of administrator in May.

Gilzean said at the time that he was especially interested in creating affordable housing in the region, something DeSantis has presented as a punishment against Disney but that would likely be welcomed by the theme park’s employees. Gilzean, who is Black, also cut the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — which DeSantis has moved to abolish in schools and businesses in Florida.

The new Disney board arrangement has been a legal and political spectacle in Florida. DeSantis moved to have the board take control of the central Florida district after the Walt Disney Co. publicly opposed a bill he signed into law limiting when and how educators can teach LGBTQ topics in public schools.

Before the takeover, the district was known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Its former board included numerous Disney representatives — effectively allowing Disney World to run its own government and avoiding the same regulations other Florida theme parks face, saving the company time and money.