This week, the Florida congressman who authored the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill resigned after being charged on federal fraud charges relating to COVID-19 relief funding.
State Representative Joe Harding resigned on Thursday after an indictment was unsealed the day before saying that he sought for around $150,000 in COVID-19 relief loans via the Small Business Administration using two defunct firms.
According to Politico, in announcing his resignation, Harding, who was elected to office in 2020, stated that he wanted what was best for Floridians.
“Today, I am resigning from my position for the same two reasons: I love people, and I love Florida,” he wrote in a Facebook post that is no longer accessible. “I believe in Floridians and want what’s best for them, and I believe that their leaders should not be burdened with distractions that are solely mine.”
According to the US Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Harding faces up to 35 years in prison for two counts of wire fraud, two counts of engaging in monetary transactions with funds derived from unlawful activity, and two counts of making false statements to the Small Business Administration related to the scheme.
In Florida this spring, protesters against the contentious “Don’t Say Gay” statute.
During a hearing on Tuesday, the former lawmaker denied the charges and said he had repaid the loans. His trial date is set for January 11.
Harding notoriously sponsored the state’s contentious Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by detractors, which provoked nationwide protests. The act, which was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in March, prohibits public school classroom discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity until the third grade.
»After his indictment, Joe Harding, the author of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, resigns«