Conservative PR firm promotes DeSantis’ Disney district and his allies’ books

As Gov. Ron DeSantis battles Disney, a public relations firm with ties to some of his top conservative allies has been working behind the scenes for the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District he now controls.

The Disney oversight district is working with Washington-based Athos, which is also promoting books written by New College of Florida president Richard Corcoran, conservative education activist Christopher Rufo and controversial former White House COVID-19 adviser Dr. Scott Atlas, according to its website.

The firm was hired after legal counsel recommended bringing in “communications support” when “it became clear that litigation with a corporate powerhouse was inevitable,” said Martin Garcia, chairman of the tourism oversight district’s board.

“In turn, we contacted Athos — a Washington, DC-based firm renowned for its achievements in high-stakes public relations,” Garcia said in a written statement provided by Athos. “Retaining an established PR firm is routine for high-profile litigation, particularly in instances like this where it is essential to enhance transparency by providing information about a government agency to the public.”

But the details of the district’s arrangement with Athos are shrouded in mystery. The district hasn’t revealed how much it has paid Athos, the terms of any contract it has with Athos, or whether it considered proposals from other firms. An Orlando Sentinel public records request asking for the contract has yet to be fulfilled.

The district is a public entity that provides fire protection, utilities and other government services to Disney World and nearby properties. Disney and its affiliates fund almost all of the district’s budget, paying about 86% of property taxes.

For more than 50 years, Disney effectively controlled the district’s board. That was upended in 2022 as DeSantis feuded with Disney over what critics called the “don’t say gay” law limiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity. That dispute is now being settled in state and federal court.

With a new leader Glen Gilzean in place, the district shook up its in-house communications department. Last week, Gilzean’s administration fired communications director Eryka Washington Perry with no explanation. She was hired by the previous Disney-friendly leadership and stayed on after the new DeSantis-aligned board took over in February.

Corcoran, a former GOP Florida House speaker who served as education commissioner in DeSantis’ administration, has high praise for Athos.

Corcoran thanked the firm in a social media post in December 2022 for making his book possible. The book, “Standing Our Ground: The Inside Story of Ron DeSantis’s Rise and Battle for Freedom,” will be released next month.

Athos also touts Rufo’s book “America’s Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything” and Atlas’ “A Plague Upon Our House: My Fight at the Trump White House” on its website.

The three men have helped to advance DeSantis’ conservative agenda. DeSantis named Rufo to the New College of Florida’s Board of Trustees as part of a conservative takeover of the small liberal arts college in Sarasota. New College hired Richard Corcoran to serve as president with a compensation package of up to $1.3 million per year.

Atlas, a COVID-19 adviser to former President Donald Trump who promoted the idea of herd immunity that many pandemic experts severely criticized, has appeared with DeSantis at roundtable discussions and news conferences. He also delivered the keynote speech at New College’s graduation in May.

Athos’ CEO and co-founder is Jonathan Bronitsky, who Garcia said moved to Delray Beach in 2021. Before launching the firm, Bronitsky served as former U.S. Attorney General William Barr’s chief speechwriter and senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Justice during the Trump administration.

In September 2022, DeSantis appointed Bronitsky to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which investigates allegations of misconduct involving judges.

Disney and state officials are battling in state and federal court. Disney sued DeSantis and state officials, alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” over its stance on the “don’t say gay” law. The district sued Disney in state court, asking a judge to declare development agreements limiting its authority void.

Other politically connected firms have landed work with the Disney district since the state takeover.

The district hired the boutique Washington law firm Cooper & Kirk to lead its legal fight against Disney. One of the partners in that firm is Adam Laxalt, a longtime friend of DeSantis who was picked to serve as a chairman of a Super PAC supporting his presidential bid before stepping down on Friday. The district also selected Lawson Huck Gonzalez, a firm launched earlier this year by former Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson.

The district came under scrutiny for a $242,500 no-bid contract awarded to Figgers Communication to help upgrade its 911 network. That company’s founder and CEO is Freddie Figgers, who served with Disney district administrator Gilzean on the Florida Commission on Ethics. The district insisted the deal followed its purchasing policy, but officials canceled the contract and put it out to competitive bid at Figgers’ request.

Garcia praised Athos’ work in the statement the PR firm sent to the Sentinel.

“We are incredibly pleased with Athos’ work product,” he said. “To the task at hand, its team has brought principle, dedication, and its unparalleled experience interfacing with national media in both the private sector and … at the highest levels of the federal government, specifically at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”