Florida lawmaker charged with pandemic aid fraud
State Rep. Joe Harding of Ocala, Florida, illegally obtained or tried to obtain more than $150,000 in pandemic loans from the Small Business Administration for two corporate entities that had been dormant until he applied for the funds
A Republican state lawmaker from Florida who sponsored a law that critics have nicknamed “Don’t Say Gay” was indicted on charges of defrauding a federal loan program designed to help small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, federal officials said Wednesday.
State Rep. Joe Harding of Ocala, Florida, illegally obtained or tried to obtain more than $150,000 in pandemic loans from the Small Business Administration for two corporate entities that had been dormant until he applied for the funds, according to a six-count federal indictment. He was charged with two counts of wire fraud, two counts of making false statements and two counts of money laundering.
Harding, 35, who was first elected in 2020, sponsored legislation this year prohibiting classroom instruction and discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity in lower elementary school grades. The law, titled “Parental Rights in Education,” gained national attention from LGBTQ groups that feared it would have a chilling effect among teachers and young students.
Harding, a home health executive, said in a statement that he had pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance Wednesday. He was released on bond, and a trial is scheduled for Jan. 11 in Gainesville, Florida.
“I want the public and my constituents to know that I fully repaid the loan and cooperated with investigators as requested,” he said.
