Florida legislator who sponsored ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law resigns amid Covid-relief fraud charges - NBC News

The Florida authorities typical who sponsored authorities opponents dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill resigned Thursday, a time aft helium was accused of fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from a national Covid-relief program.

State Rep. Joseph Harding, a Republican, said his resignation would beryllium "effective immediately." He has been indicted connected a slew of charges, including ligament fraud, wealth laundering, making mendacious statements and different crimes.

The six-count indictment alleges that Harding, 35, sought much than $150,000 successful Covid-relief loans and received astir $45,000 successful January and February 2021, for a brace of companies that had been dormant successful the months earlier the applications were filed.

In a resignation missive addressed to Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and posted connected Harding's run Facebook page, helium said his ineligible woes, which see a proceedings successful the lawsuit acceptable to statesman successful January, required his afloat attention.

“It has been a large grant to service the radical of this authorities and much specifically the radical of Levy and Marion Counties,” Harding said. “However, owed to ineligible issues that necessitate my implicit focus, it is my sentiment that present is the clip to let idiosyncratic other to service my district.”

Renner said successful a statement, "I recognize and respect his determination to taxable his resignation. Any questions astir his lawsuit should beryllium directed to his ineligible counsel."

The indictment alleges that successful applications to the Small Business Administration successful 2020, Harding claimed Vak Shack Inc. and Harding Farms had fractional a twelve employees and gross gross from the erstwhile twelvemonth totaling much than $800,000. State records showed the entities were dormant and had nary employees.

Harding pleaded not blameworthy successful tribunal Wednesday.

In a connection posted Thursday connected Facebook, Harding said helium had repaid "every penny" of the loan.

“There volition beryllium a clip erstwhile I tin archer my communicative successful detail, and I will,” Harding said successful statement, adding that helium has "done my champion to cooperate afloat with each authorities.”

He did not instantly respond Thursday nighttime to petition for further comment.

Harding, whose territory includes Ocala, was archetypal elected successful 2020.

He sponsored a bill this twelvemonth prohibiting “classroom treatment astir intersexual predisposition oregon sex identity” successful the state’s superior schools. The bill, which was criticized arsenic an onslaught connected Florida’s LGBTQ community, was signed into instrumentality successful March by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.