Florida GOP author of "Don't Say Gay" law pleads guilty to COVID fraud [View all]

[Sancho]

https://www.salon.com/2023/03/22/florida-author-of-dont-say-gay-law-pleads-guilty-to-fraud--faces-up-to-35-years/?

Former Florida state Rep. Joseph Harding, who sponsored the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law banning the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state's primary school classrooms, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from a federal COVID relief program.

Harding at his hearing in the U.S. District Court for Northern Florida submitted a guilty plea for a single count each of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements stemming from a six-count indictment in December, NBC News reported.

Harding, who resigned from his state House seat after his indictment, admitted to the crimes, reversing his earlier "not guilty" plea. A new court filing obtained by NBC found that the former lawmaker acknowledged that he made false statements when submitting an application for an economic injury disaster loan in December 2020. The company he listed had no business activity and was dormant at the time.

Harding fraudulently obtained $150,000 in COVID relief funds from the Small Business Administration, and then made three transfers, each more than $10,000, to his joint bank account in order to pay off his credit card and into a bank account for a business entity, the court documents showed.