Ex-Florida legislator, who sponsored so-called 'Don't Say Gay' law, pleads guilty to fraud
Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The former Republican Florida lawmaker, who authored the controversial law dubbed "Don't Say Gay," pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements in connection with defrauding the federal coronavirus loan program for small businesses.
Former state Rep. Joe Harding, R-Williston, faces up to 35 years in prison, according to a United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida press release. His sentencing hearing is slated for July 25.
Harding, 35 and first elected into office in 2020, resigned a day after his indictment in early December. He had initially pleaded not guilty.
Harding was the House sponsor of the Parental Rights in Education law, which restricts classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3.
Even before the law went into effect last summer, opponents said the legislation and its surrounding rhetoric contributed to a hostile environment for LGBTQ people.
Read more: https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/22/ex-florida-lawmaker-dont-say-gay-sponsor-harding-pleads-guilty-to-fraud/70037008007/
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