Tallahassee — 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 pandemic aid loans. He’s 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 sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, as well as material that isn’t 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.
Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP
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.
The “Don’t Say Gay” bill raised concerns among LGBTQ+ advocates and some teachers for singling out LGBTQ+ students or children with LGBTQ+ parents. But its sponsors says it sets clear guidelines on age-appropriate discussions and gives priority to parents’ rights to choose what their children learn.
When the measure was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in March, Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, said in a statement that he “has damaged our state’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place for all families, he has made us a laughing stock and target of national derision. Worse, he has made schools less safe for children.
“Equality Florida will defend the rights of all students to have a healthy environment to learn and thrive and for all parents to know their families are included and respected. This law will not stand and we will work to see it removed either by the courts as unconstitutional or repealed by the legislature.”
