TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida lawmaker who sponsored the controversial law critics call “Don't Say Gay†has been indicted on charges of defrauding a federal coronavirus loan program for small businesses, officials said Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors said Rep. Joe Harding, 35, illegally obtained or tried to obtain more than $150,000 from the Small Business Administration in He is being charged with two counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and two counts of making false statements.
Harding, a Republican, became nationally known this year over his sponsorship of a law that forbids instruction on in kindergarten through third grade, as well as material that is not deemed age-appropriate.
"I want the public and my constituents to know that I fully repaid the loan and cooperated with investigators as requested,†Harding said in a written statement.
The Republican speaker of the Florida House of Representatives has temporarily removed Harding from his committee assignments in the Legislature.
A trial is scheduled for Jan. 11.
