Florida state Rep. Joe Harding indicted on federal wire fraud, money laundering charges
Florida state Rep. Joseph Harding was indicted on charges of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements relating to COVID-19 funding, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
Harding, an Ocala Republican who represents District 24 and who was first-elected to the House in 2020, allegedly committed two acts of wire fraud by obtaining COVID-19-related small business loans under fall pretenses and defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) between Dec. 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021, a DOJ release states.
The indictment also alleges that Harding, 35, made fraudulent SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications. The release says Harding used fraudulent bank statements as supporting documentation for one of his EIDL applications.
The indictment says the fraudulent loan applications allowed Harding to obtain more than $150,000 in disaster relief funds.
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Harding, a Williston native, responded to the charges via Facebook on Wednesday evening.
“Today, I pleaded not guilty to federal charges that state I improperly obtained and used an EIDL loan issued by the Small Business Administration. I want the public and my constituents to know that I fully repaid the loan and cooperated with investigators as requested,” Harding wrote. “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. I ask that you keep me and my family in your prayers as we work for a fair and just resolution. Thank you, and my God bless you.”
Harding, who rose to prominence this year over his sponsorship of Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, often referred to by critics as the "don't say gay" bill," also faces two charges of engaging in monetary transactions with funds derived from unlawful activity and two counts of making false statements to the SBA.
Harding's trial is scheduled for Jan. 11 at 8:30 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Gainesville. If convicted, Harding faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, 10 years for money laundering and 5 years for making false statements.
Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, said in a statement Wednesday that Harding is being temporarily removed from his committee assignments.
"After consultation with Representative Harding regarding his indictment, I am temporarily removing him from his committee assignments to allow him to focus on this matter," Renner said. "In America, we adhere to the rule of law, and as such, Representative Harding is presumed innocent and will have the opportunity to plead his case before a court. Since the indictment does not relate to any aspect of his legislative duties, any further questions should be directed to his legal counsel.”
The investigation was jointly conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Ocala Republican Joseph Harding charged with wire fraud by DOJ
