A follow-up to a previous News Views discussion:
On Tuesday, former GQP lawmaker and author of Florida’s fascist “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Joe Harding pleaded guilty “to allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements to defraud the government of COVID relief cash.”
In December, Harding resigned from the Florida state legislature following his indictment. “Prosecutors said Harding fraudulently obtained $150,000 of COVID relief funds by using false statements on an Economic Injury Disaster Loan application. He bolstered his claims with fake bank statements and other supporting documents.”
The maximum terms of imprisonment for the offenses are as follows:
- 20 years: Wire Fraud
- 10 years: Money Laundering
- 5 years: Making False Statements
