FL’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Author Resigns After Federal Charges

FLORIDA — The state lawmaker behind Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill has stepped down from his seat after being indicted on multiple federal charges related to fraudulent Small Business Association loans. He faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted.

A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Rep. Joseph Harding, 35, of Williston. His charges include wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Harding, who represented House District 24, announced his resignation Thursday afternoon in a Facebook post.

“When I decided to run in in 2019 for the Florida House, I did so for two simple reasons: I love people, and I love Florida,” he wrote. “Today, I am resigning from my position for the same two reasons: I love people, and I love Florida. I believe in Floridians and want what is best for them, and I believe their leaders need not be encumbered by distractions that are mine alone.”

He's known for authoring House Bill 1557 – Parental Rights in Education, which grabbed headlines this past year. Referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by its critics, the new law limits how gender identity and sexual orientation are discussed in the state's public-school classrooms. Instruction on these topics is prohibited in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms and limited for older students.

Harding is accused of committing two acts of wire fraud by obtaining coronavirus-related small business loans through the Small Business Administration between Dec. 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021, according to the indictment.

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He received these loans “by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and for the purpose of executing such scheme, caused wire communications to be transmitted in interstate commerce,” the DOJ said.

The indictment alleges that he submitted “false and fraudulent” SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications, “and made false representations in supporting loan documentation, in the names of dormant business entities,” the agency said.

For one of these dormant businesses, Harding submitted “fraudulently created bank statements” with his loan applications, according to the DOJ.

He received more than $150,000 from the SBA “to which he was not entitled,” the indictment said.

Harding also faces two counts of engaging in monetary transactions with funds derived from unlawful activity related to transferring his EIDL loan money into two bank accounts, and two counts of making false statements to the SBA.

He goes to trial for the charges Jan. 11, 2023, at a federal court in Gainesville.