This really isnt dirty deal.
If they think some criminal activity was involved they don't need the legislature at all it would fall into the lap of the attorney general of the state or some other prosecutor.
Don't see any winners or losers in this whole back and forth. The attorneys are making bank off this soap opera / made for media reality show. I wonder if at the end of the day the legal eagles for both sides just get together at Universal for a drink, some comradery and laugh about the whole Board vs Disney issue.
They have asked the AG to investigate.
While this is true. What criminal activity do you think was involved? So far the only people who have broken any laws in this whole mess have been within the Florida legislature and administration.
First off you’re insane if you think in house counsel at Disney didn’t have this deal squared away. Having worked with them on the contract/procurement side their confidentiality and communication procedures are insanely well developed.
It depends. If one of those board members asked or hinted at needing a job then it could be considered a bribe depending on the response from Disney. Never underestimate the stupidity of people to say the wrong thing. I've seen a manager in a company I represented flat out brag about how successful he had been at paying doctors to prescribe the companies new medication. He thought the company would be pleased with him, he didn't realize that some of the doctors had patients that were reimbursed by the federal government through medicare which meant he was violating federal law. His boasting to get a raise in the annual review gave the feds more evidence against the company that cost him his job and the company several million in fines. When you have more laws on the books than anyone could ever hope to know you can be sure that most everyone even lawyers and judges break some and if a the government decides they are going to get you they will probably find something if they look hard enough.
For the crime of what?
So you’re just assuming things now with no knowledge and coming up with baseless scenarios.
They were colluding to openly engage in legal activity! That’s not fair!
I'm not suggesting they lawyers didn't come up with what they thought was a perfect plan. I'm just saying that the odds are that perfect plan was not spoken about between various parties and depending on how it was handled, Disney could very easily get themselves into legal trouble.
This isn't the first time RCID has held a public meeting regarding budget planning, etc. which require public notice. The way this went down was about as simple and cookie cutter as it can get. Despite the fact that the ramifications on the new board's ability to govern is significantly impacted, the cause of this is actually quite mundane.
What was the illegal act they were colluding to do?
I'm assuming that the actions taken by the board would not have been taken had the change of the law in Florida not scared the hell out of Disney. I'm betting that now that the AG of Florida has started digging, that they won't stop until they find something.
And that is all it would take. Someone telling one of them not to worry they will still get their annual pass would be enough. The problem is they were all too tight with Disney and anything they do will look like a payoff.
Of course the board would not have taken action had the legislature not changed it. There would have been no reason. Other than your baseless assumption that Disney offered to pay off current board member with annual passes, is there anything supporting your theory that Disney did something wrong - instead of just something legal in response to the situation created by the legislature?
That's the humor in it. What they did may be completely legal, but if their was anything that could be construed as a bribe or payoff by Disney to any board member voting on it, then you just broke the law.
Okay, do you have anything other than a hypothetical bribe or payoff to support what you're saying?
Yeah… because just now… after doing this for decades… disney would just have forgotten the rules of the road during their most critical crisis with these folks they’re worked with forever.