Michael Sasso resigns from Disney World oversight board
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Michael Sasso, a Central Florida attorney, has resigned from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Disney World governing board he joined earlier this year.
Sasso was one of five members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s Board of Supervisors, the governor-appointed board at the center of DeSantis’ dispute with Disney.
Sasso has not publicly given a reason for his resignation. On Tuesday, DeSantis elevated his wife, Meredith Sasso, to the Florida Supreme Court. She was the chief judge of the Sixth District Circuit Court of Appeal.
Spectrum News 13 first reported Sasso’s resignation on Friday night.
Sasso and the governor’s office did not immediately respond Saturday to requests for comment.
The tourism district has a lawsuit against Disney pending in state court that could potentially reach the state’s highest court.
That legal action was taken after Disney sued the district in federal court, alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation.” In the suit, Disney’s lawyers argue the corporation is being punished because it opposed the DeSantis-backed law that limited instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools, which critics dubbed “don’t say gay.”
DeSantis overhauled Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District earlier this year and renamed it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. In late February, DeSantis replaced the Disney-friendly board with five politically connected Republican members, which included Sasso.
The tourism oversight district oversees government services for Disney World, including fire protection, roads, utilities and planning and development.
Disney and the district are quarreling over development agreements the previous board approved ahead of the state takeover. Those agreements seek to preserve Disney’s control over future growth in Central Florida. The new DeSantis-appointed board voided those agreements, and Disney sued to get them reinstated.
Sasso was one of two board members from Central Florida. He is a partner in the Sasso & Sasso law firm in Winter Park.
He also serves on the Sixth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission, which recruits, interviews and certifies judicial nominees. In addition, he is a member of the Valencia College District Board of Trustees and the Public Employees Relations Commission, which handles labor and employment disputes.
