“We join The Walt Disney Company in mourning the tragic passing of Richard Bates, the longtime head of Disney's government relations office. We have had the privilege of working closely with Richard for many years and saw up close his intelligence and leadership in representing Disney and other content creators. But beyond his many policy successes, Richard was a wonderful colleague and a dear friend to so many. Richard set the standard for excellence and integrity and while his leadership will be missed, his example will remain a guiding light for all of us and the generations that follow in his footsteps.”