“Don’t Say Gay” Author Booted From FL Committees

The Florida Phoenix reports:

Florida Speaker of the House Paul Renner released a statement saying that he will remove Harding from all his committee assignments. “After consultation with Rep. Harding regarding his indictment, I am temporarily removing him from his committee assignments to allow him time to focus on this matter,” Renner said.

“In America, we adhere to the rule of law and, as such, Rep. Harding is presumed innocent and will have the opportunity to plead his case before a court. Since the indictment does not relate to any aspect of his legislative duties, any further questions should be directed to his legal counsel.”

Harding, 35, was first elected to the Florida House representing parts of Levy and Marion counties in 2020 and won reelection last month. Renner named him to serve on six committees and as vice chair for two of them — Health & Human Services and PreK-12 Appropriations.

Read the full article. As I reported early this morning, Harding is proclaiming his innocence, saying that he returned the funds in question. He is also asking his Facebook followers for prayers for himself and his family. Per the DOJ, Harding faces up to 35 years in prison on the six felony counts.

“Today, I pleaded not guilty to federal charges that state I improperly obtained and used an EIDL loan issued by the Small Business Administration.” #florida https://t.co/mrQN6WDyMU via @FLPhoenixNews

— The Florida Phoenix (@FLPhoenixNews) December 8, 2022