“Don’t Say Gay” Author Indicted On Six Felony Charges

Florida Politics reports:

A federal grand jury has indicted Republican Rep. Joe Harding of House District 24 on six felony counts, including money laundering and wire fraud, the DOJ announced Wednesday. The indictment alleges that between Dec. 1, 2020 and March 1, 2021, Harding committed two acts of wire fraud through a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and by obtaining COVID-19-related small business loans through false and fraudulent pretenses.

It alleges he made fraudulent applications for Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans, including by utilizing the names of dormant businesses. It also alleges Harding obtained fraudulently created bank statements for one of the dormant businesses. “By this conduct, the indictment alleges that Harding fraudulently obtained and attempted to obtain more than $150,000 in funds from the SBA to which he was not entitled,” the DOJ wrote in a press release.

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Republican state Rep. @JosephBHarding, author of the controversial parental rights in education bill, has been indicted for wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements.#FlaPol pic.twitter.com/eCCRox7y0a

— Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) December 7, 2022

.@JosephBHarding indicted on wire fraud, money laundering chargeshttps://t.co/iCPd7paEs1#FlaPol

— Florida Politics (@Fla_Pol) December 7, 2022