DeSantis’ Disney board chief faces scrutiny over ethics role

ORLANDO, Fla. — Glen Gilzean, the head of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Disney World oversight district, has continued to serve as the chairman of Florida’s ethics commission, despite a state law that members of the government watchdog panel cannot hold “public employment.”

Florida law specifies that “no member may hold any public employment” and serve on the ethics board. Gilzean was hired by the governor-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in May, drawing a $400,000-a-year salary from the special taxing district.

The Florida Bulldog, an investigative news website, revealed Gilzean’s potential conflict of interest, which had gone publicly unnoticed. Gilzean attended ethics commission meetings in June and July, videos of those meetings show.

Gilzean’s dual roles as ethics commissioner and government administrator appear to violate state law, said Michael Barfield, director of public access initiatives for the Florida Center for Government Accountability.

“The legal requirements are there for a reason, and that is for transparency and to prevent conflicts of interest,” he said. “You can’t be sitting in a watchdog capacity in the position of the ethics commission and at the same time be … subject to the authority of the ethics commission. That is an inherent conflict of interest.”

A tourism district spokesman referred questions Monday to the Commission on Ethics. A spokeswoman for the Commission on Ethics did not respond to an email and phone message seeking comment.

Gilzean could not be reached by phone. A DeSantis spokesman also did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The nine-member ethics commission is tasked with investigating complaints of “breach of the public trust by public officers and employees.” With a staff of about 25 employees, the commission describes itself as the “guardian of the standards of conduct for officers and employees of Florida.”

Board members, appointed by DeSantis and the leaders of the Florida House and Senate, do not receive a salary from the state.

DeSantis first appointed Gilzean to the ethics commission in 2019. He was elected chairman in January. His term on the commission expires in June 2024.

The commission has handled high-profile matters involving Florida politicians. On April 26, the commission dismissed an ethics complaint filed against the governor by allies of former President Donald Trump, DeSantis’ foe in the 2024 presidential GOP primary.

The super PAC MAGA Inc. filed the complaint, alleging that DeSantis had misused his office to boost his national profile.

The commission rejected that complaint in an order signed by Gilzean concluding it “does not provide an adequate factual basis for this allegation.”

On May 10, the governor-appointed tourism oversight district’s board hired Gilzean. Formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the tourism district has played a key role in DeSantis’ battle with Disney, which started last year over what critics called the “don’t say gay” law. Disney opposed that law, which limits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

The district oversees fire protection, planning, roads and other government services for Disney World.

In February, state lawmakers put DeSantis in charge of picking the five board members of the Disney-controlled Reedy Creek district’s board, subject to confirmation by the GOP-controlled Senate. Later that month, DeSantis replaced the five Disney-friendly members with his Republican allies.

In May, board member Michael Sasso resigned when another potential conflict-of-interest issue arose. DeSantis named Sasso’s wife, Judge Meredith Sasso, to the Florida Supreme Court.

Sasso resigned on May 22, a day before his wife was appointed to the state’s high court.

The tourism oversight district has sued Disney in state court over development agreements approved ahead of a state takeover. Disney also has a lawsuit against the district, DeSantis and state officials pending in federal court.

In an interview with CNBC Monday, DeSantis urged Disney to drop its federal lawsuit alleging government retaliation, contending the state has “basically moved on” from issues involving changes to the Reedy Creek district.