The Florida state lawmaker who sponsored legislation dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay' bill by critics has been indicted and is accused of illegally obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in Covid-relief funds, authorities say.
was accused of illegally obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in Covid-relief funds, authorities said Wednesday.
Harding, a Republican whose district is south of Gainesville, is accused of seeking Covid-relief loans from the Small Business Administration in 2020 for two companies, Vak Shack Inc. and Harding Farms, according to the indictment. The companies had no employees, and state records showed they had been dormant in the months before the applications were filed, the indictment says.
Harding pleaded not guilty to the charges in court Wednesday, court records show. Neither he nor his lawyer immediately responded to requests for comment.
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