GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida state representative who introduced the controversial parental rights and education bill, also called the 'Don't Say Gay' bill by LGBTQ activists, has been indicted by federal prosecutors.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, a federal grand jury indicted Joseph Harding, 35, of Williston, Florida, on six counts relating to scheming to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) and obtaining COVID-19-related loans on false pretenses.
Harding allegedly sought Economic Injury Disaster Loans using names of shuttered businesses and allegedly obtained falsified bank statements for one of those dormant businesses to obtain more than $150,000 in funds from the SBA.
Harding appeared in court Wednesday and pled not guilty to all of the charges, according to court records reviewed by ABC News. His trial is set for Jan. 11 next year.
If convicted, Harding could face the following maximum prison terms for each charge:
- Wire fraud - 20 years
- Money Laundering - 10 years
- Making False Statements - 5 years
Florida House Speaker Paul Renner said in a statement that Harding has been temporarily removed from committee assignments.
“After consultation with Representative Harding regarding his indictment, I am temporarily removing him from his committee assignments to allow him time to focus on this matter. In America we adhere to the rule of law, and as such, Representative Harding is presumed innocent and will have the opportunity to plead his case before a court. Since the indictment does not relate to any aspect of his legislative duties, any further questions should be directed to his legal counsel.”
ABC News contributed to this report
