The federal judge that was set to oversee Disney’s First Amendment lawsuit filed against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recused himself from the high-profile case on June 1 after discovering that a “relative within the third degree of relationship” owns Disney stock.
In a 14-page decision (pdf), U.S. Chief District Judge Mark Walker, an Obama appointee, said that he had learned on May 26 that the unnamed relative owns 30 shares of stock with the Walt Disney Company.
“Upon learning this information, I became obligated to engage in a separate inquiry pursuant to the Code of Conduct for United States Judges to determine if the financial interest of my third-degree relative ‘could be substantially affected by the outcome of [this] proceeding.”…