Harding, co-author of Florida's vile 'Don't Say Gay' bill, took a plea deal for reduced charges. He resigned from the Florida Legislature in December after his federal indictment. Despite the lesser charges, he's still looking at up to 35 years when he's sentenced in July.

And of course he's a Republican, but you knew that already.

The video above is from December 2022.

Source: Tampa Bay Times

Former state Rep. Joe Harding on Tuesday pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements in a scheme to
obtain pandemic-related business loans.

Harding, R-Ocala, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts each of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements and was accused of trying to defraud the Small Business Administration.

Harding resigned from his House seat after pleading not guilty in December to the charges. But in a plea agreement filed Tuesday, Harding admitted to one count each of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements.

“In pleading guilty, defendant acknowledges that were this case to go to trial, the government would present evidence to support the charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” the agreement said.

According to a court document filed Tuesday, Harding made “materially false statements” when he applied for a federal Economic Injury Disaster Loan for The Vak Shak Inc. in December 2020. Harding falsely claimed that the company had four employees and gross revenues of more than $420,000 for a year before submitting the application.

The company did not have any business activity in 2019 or 2020, and “Harding knew that this business had been dormant during that time,” the court filing said.