Labor Union Wants Disney Out of Politics

In 2022, the FBI alleged that officials in Anaheim were engaged in a “cabal” that included executives from Disneyland. The mayor of Anaheim was forced to resign over the corruption scandal. The FBI also alleged that The Walt Disney Company used its power in Orange County to influence policymakers to ensure they would create policies that were friendly to Disney.

A year later, an independent corruption investigation found that Disney’s ties to politicians in Anaheim ran deeper than previously believed. It said that businesses in Anaheim, which included hotels, Disney, and the Los Angeles Angels, used money, donations, and gifts to influence politicians.

Related: Shut Out of Florida Politics, Disney Turns to California, But Anaheim Wants Them Out

And now, Anaheim City Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava is facing a recall vote because of some of the allegations in that corruption investigation. Rubalcava allegedly received $380,000 from Disneyland’s political spending vehicle, Support Our Anaheim Resort’s political action committee. She also allegedly received political data from a group associated with the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, which receives funding from Disneyland.

The effort to recall the member of the Anaheim City Council is being led by United Here Local 11, a labor union that represents hotel workers in the theme park area, including those who work at the Disneyland Resort.

Kurt Petersen, co-president of the union, told the Voice of O.C.:

Our members are fighting to clean up Anaheim’s politics, and councilmember Rubalcava is connected to a corrupt cabal and has been criticized by the City’s corruption investigators. The recall process exists to remedy this exact kind of situation.

Related: The Process Begins Next Week For Massive Disney Expansion

The petition to recall Rubalcava received more than 9,000 signatures, and a recall election will be scheduled once the city clerk confirms the signatures.

Natalie Rubalcava was elected to the Anaheim City Council in 2022 but is already facing a recall petition and corruption charges. But there may be more than just her connection to Disneyland.

Last August, Unite Here Local 11 proposed a ballot initiative that would have increased safety protections and raised the minimum pay for hotel workers to $25 an hour. Instead, Rubalcava and local hotel interests proposed an ordinance that created more safety protections but did not address the pay increase.

The ballot measure to increase pay was put to voters in October and was soundly defeated. It was shortly after that loss that the recall effort began.

Will a Disney-Backed Anaheim City Councilwoman Face a Recall Election?https://t.co/IPqVVCgQjk

— Voice of OC (@VoiceofOC) January 18, 2024

After the corruption investigation was released, Rubalcava and Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken called for reforms to get the Walt Disney Company and other large hotel corporations out of local politics. In November, the Anaheim City Council hosted a forum on the possibility of campaign finance reform. However, the city’s lawyer said that any reform would face a lengthy court battle over the First Amendment Rights of local companies.

The Anaheim City Councilwoman is waiting for a recall election to determine her future in local politics.

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