Political insiders get high pay, big contracts from DeSantis’ Disney district

Some winners have emerged in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ongoing battle with Disney: political insiders who scored lucrative six-figure jobs and contracts as the culture war fight unfolded.

DeSantis vowed to bring a new era of accountability, but more than eight months into a state takeover, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s new administration is facing mounting scrutiny and scathing employee exit surveys.

“You do see a pattern here that people who are politically connected are getting work,” said Richard Foglesong, a Rollins College professor and author of the book “Married to the Mouse” on Disney World’s origins. “Maybe that shouldn’t be shocking. Is that insiderism? I guess you could call it that.”

Glen Gilzean, a close DeSantis ally, landed a $400,000-a-year job leading the district, which provides government services to Disney World. His candidacy was helped by Michael Sasso, a DeSantis-appointed board member who also was the best man in Gilzean’s wedding over the summer.

The DeSantis-appointed board chose Gilzean over several other candidates, including William Sturgeon, a former city manager of St. Cloud, a city with a population of more than 60,000.

“It was political,” Sturgeon said. “The place is falling apart. My professional opinion is they have too many state-orientated people in there, and state and municipal government are two different things.”

Sturgeon said he likes Gilzean, but the district needs a leader with a background in local government. Before landing the job at the district, Gilzean served as CEO of the Central Florida Urban League, a civil rights and advocacy organization.

Another applicant, Winter Park City Manager Randy Knight, said he had a brief conversation with the tourism oversight district’s board chair before submitting his resume, but he never heard back.

As administrator, Gilzean selected Paula Hoisington, chairwoman of the Central Florida Urban League’s board, to serve as his chief of staff at the tourism oversight district. Public records show she started at an annual salary of $195,000 and was recently promoted to deputy district administrator, getting a $55,000-a-year raise.

Ronald Haag, a legislative aide to former state GOP Rep. Fred Hawkins, was brought in to serve as Gilzean’s executive assistant.

Hawkins, R-St. Cloud, sponsored the legislation overhauling Disney’s special district. He’s since left the Legislature, landing a job to lead South Florida State College despite having no experience in higher education.

The district also hired Brandy Brown, who worked as director of strategic initiatives in DeSantis’ office. Public records show, though, that she only worked briefly as the tourism oversight district’s director of external affairs before leaving. The district did not respond to questions about her departure.

The governor’s office defended the new administration and dismissed the characterization that political favoritism has permeated the district, which since 1967 was effectively controlled by Disney.

DeSantis has said the arrangement allowed Disney to enjoy a “special privilege” that no other theme park operator enjoyed in Florida.

The governor pushed to seize state control of what had been called the Reedy Creek Improvement District after Disney criticized what critics call the “don’t say gay” law that bans discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools.

“CFTOD [Central Florida Tourism Oversight District] appointing those they believe are qualified for certain positions isn’t cronyism,” Jeremy Redfern, a DeSantis spokesman, said in an email. “Cronyism is a local government that served as a Corporate Kingdom for over 50 years. The ‘criticism’ from the cronies indicates that the District is doing the right thing.”

No-bid contract under fire

The district’s purchasing decisions have also raised questions.

Most recently, the district backpedaled on a $242,500 no-bid contract awarded to a DeSantis’ appointee to help upgrade the 911 network. That work went to Freddie Figgers, who served alongside Gilzean on the Florida Commission on Ethics.

Facing scrutiny after media reports, the district canceled that contract at Figgers’ request. District officials, though, say the deal met exceptions for competitive bidding outlined in their purchasing policy.

The district also agreed to pay conservative George Mason University law professor Donald J. Kochan $110,000 to help produce a report and make recommendations to the Florida Legislature.

The district’s purchasing rules include competitive bidding exceptions for consultants and experts hired to prepare reports for the legislature.

Conservative all-star legal team 

Two politically connected law firms stand to make millions in legal fees from the district as part of the state’s court battle with Disney. One is a boutique Washington, D.C., firm favored by DeSantis in his culture war legal battles, and another is an upstart firm launched by a retired Supreme Court justice.

The DeSantis-aligned board hired Washington-based Cooper & Kirk, agreeing to pay its lawyers $795 an hour. One of the partners in that law firm is Adam Laxalt, a longtime friend of DeSantis who was hired to lead the Never Back Down super PAC supporting the governor’s presidential campaign.

Lawson Huck Gonzalez, which was founded by three legal heavyweights earlier this year, bills $495 an hour. The firm’s founders include Alan Lawson, a retired Florida Supreme Court justice; Paul Huck Jr., once called the “godfather of the Federalist Society in Miami”; and Jason Gonzalez, who’s advised DeSantis on judicial picks.

Two of the district’s board members — Chairman Martin Garcia and Charbel Barakat — listed Jason Gonzalez as a reference on their Senate confirmation documents.

The district is budgeting $4.5 million for legal expenses in its court battle with Disney on top of the $2 million that has already been spent. Much of that bill will be footed by Disney and its affiliates, which pay about 86% of the district’s property taxes.

Disney is suing DeSantis and state officials in federal court, alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” The tourism oversight district sued Disney in state court, seeking to get development agreements limiting its authority voided.

The district did not solicit proposals for outside legal help, but it wasn’t required to do so under Florida law, said Matthew Oberly, a district spokesman. The board approved the legal contracts in March, shortly after DeSantis replaced five Disney-friendly members with his allies.

“Under Florida state law, legal services are not required to be competitively bid due to the public interest,” Oberly said. “There is no requirement for the district to get the cheapest lawyer, nor is such a good practice.”

Sagging morale, many departures 

The district has experienced a wave of retirements and resignations under the new administration with more than 40 out of the district’s 370 employees leaving. That equates to a loss of about 10% of the district’s workforce.

Exit interviews, first obtained by the investigative website Seeking Rents, show several departing employees voiced concerns that cronyism was trumping good government.

One person who worked four years in the administration said she was upset about the district bringing in “friends” to take over positions, which she said was “not only disheartening but unethical.”

“The legacy of this special district is being destroyed by those who have beenplaced in power here,” she said in an exit interview. “The BOS [Board of Supervisors] and the new district administrator could care less about the work that needs to be done for the taxpayers. They claim transparency and bridge building, I see non-transparency and bridge burning.”

Another departing finance employee with three years of experience said the “workplace culture has been destroyed’ by the new administration.

“You now see fake smiles and I am sure that a lot of employees are somewhatscared to say what they actually feel because of retaliation,” she said. “Glen and the board say they care about the employees but that is not true.”

State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said she worries the state takeover has created a toxic environment that could undermine a district that is vital for the region’s tourism economy.

The district handles fire protection, environmental services, utilities and other important services for Disney World.

“I am concerned about the workers there,” Eskamani said. “Based on the exit surveys, it seems like a really difficult place to work. The well-being of my constituents who work at the special district is of value to me.”

Oberly, the district spokesman, disputed the notion that employee morale is down.

“New administrations bring some changes, and the district is excited for our employees to continue the excellence we are known for,” he said. “We are appreciative of every person who invests time and talent into keeping this place excellent.”