A federal grand jury has indicted Republican state Representative Joseph Harding of Florida on felony counts of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements, according to the US Department of Justice.
Mr Harding, who gained national attention this year as a chief sponsor of what opponents have called the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, is accused of defrauding the Small Business Administration to illegally obtain Covid-19-related federal loans.
The federal indictment alleges that Mr Harding fraudulently applied for federal disaster loans using the names of dormant businesses, then created false bank statements for a dormant business as supporting documentation for a fraudulent loan application. The crimes were allegedly committed between 1 December 2020 and 1 March 2021.
Federal prosecutors allege that Mr Harding “fraudulently obtained and attempted to obtain more than $150,000 in funds … to which he was not entitled.”
Mr Harding was first elected to office in 2020 and was re-elected this year.
Earlier this year, he ushered passage of the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, which broadly prohibits “classroom instruction” on issues related to “sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade or “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards” in other grades.
The measure, which was signed into law by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, attracted widespread criticism in Florida and elsewhere, with opponents arguing that the law’s broad scope could effectively block discussion of LGBT+ people, history and events from state schools, and be weaponised against students, staff and their families under threat from potential lawsuits against school districts over perceived violations.
Mr Harding’s trial is scheduled for 11 January 2023.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, 10 years for money laundering, and five years for making false statements.
The Justice Department has stressed that the indictment is merely an allegation from a grand jury and not evidence of guilt.
Florida House Speaker Paul Renner said in a statement that Mr Harding has been “temporarily” removed from his committee assignments “to allow him time to focus on this matter.”
“In America we adhere to the rule of law, and as such, Representative Harding is presumed innocent and will have the opportunity to plead his case before a court,” he added.
A warrant for Mr Harding’s arrest was issued on 6 December, according to court documents reviewed by The Independent. He was released on bond.
