Florida MAGA Ghoul Who Authored “Don’t Say Gay” Law Resigns After Being Indicted For Money Laundering
An update to the story that broke a few days ago: The MAGA ghoul charged with fraud has resigned from the Florida state house.
Via WKMG:
Original story posted earlier this week is below.
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Of course.
Via Local10:
A Florida lawmaker best known for sponsoring Florida’s controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, was indicted on six felony counts by a federal grand jury, including money laundering and wire fraud, officials said Wednesday.
Rep. Joe Harding, R-Williston, “(participated) in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and (obtained) coronavirus-related small business loans by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses,” according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Harding, 35, was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020.
The DOJ press release:
A federal grand jury has returned a six-count indictment against Joseph Harding, 35, of Williston, Florida. The indictment was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The Indictment alleges that between December 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021, Harding committed two acts of wire fraud by participating in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) and for obtaining coronavirus-related small business loans by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and for the purpose of executing such scheme, caused wire communications to be transmitted in interstate commerce. The Indictment alleges that Harding made and caused to be made false and fraudulent SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications, and made false representations in supporting loan documentation, in the names of dormant business entities, submitted to the SBA. The Indictment further alleges that Harding obtained fraudulently created bank statements for one of the dormant business entities which were used as supporting documentation for one of his fraudulent EIDL loan applications. 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. Harding is also charged with two counts of engaging in monetary transactions with funds derived from unlawful activity related to his transfer of the fraudulently obtained EIDL proceeds into two bank accounts, and two counts of making false statements to the SBA.
Trial for Harding is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at 8:30 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida, before the Honorable United States District Judge Allen Winsor.
The maximum terms of imprisonment for the offenses are as follows:
20 years: Wire Fraud
10 years: Money Laundering
5 years: Making False Statements
