Lawmaker behind ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill charged with fraud

The local Florida pol who sponsored the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill was charged Wednesday with pandemic relief fraud.

Joe Harding, a member of Florida’s House of Representatives, received $150,000 from the federal government that he was not entitled to, the Justice Department said in a press release.

According to the feds, Harding, a Republican, made false claims about dormant businesses and created fraudulent bank statements in the process.

Harding pleaded not guilty to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering and two counts of making false statements.

“I want the public and my constituents to know that I fully repaid the loan and cooperated with investigators as requested,” Harding wrote on his Facebook page. “On advice from counsel, I will be unable to say anything more specific about the legal proceedings until a later date and refer any questions or concerns related to this matter to my attorney.”

Florida passed Harding’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, formally known as the Parental Rights in Education Act, back in February. The bill prohibits instruction on sexuality and gender orientation in kindergarten through third grade, along with material considered age-appropriate.

The bill was “yet another attempt to censor discussions in schools about people and issues that conservative legislatures disfavor, under the guise of parental rights,” Shayna Medley, a staff attorney with the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, told the Daily News after the vote.

The controversial legislation prompted protesters to descend upon Manhattan’s Chelsea Piers when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a champion of the law, visited over the summer.

With News Wire Services