A Florida State Representative Accretion to Subscribing to the Small Business Administration. The Case of James E. Harding, 36, Has Been Found

Federal prosecutors announced charges Wednesday against a Florida state representative who allegedly swindled thousands of dollars in coronavirus relief loans from the Small Business Administration.

Harding fraudulently obtained more than $150,000 from the Small Business Administration, portions of which he transferred to a bank and used to make a credit card payment, prosecutors said.

According to a release from the DOJ, welding, 35, is set to go on trial for charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements. Money and false statements carry maximum sentences of 10 and five years, while a wire fraud conviction will give you 20 years in prison.

In a statement to the The New York Times, he said he had pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance Wednesday. “I want the public and my constituents to know that I fully repaid the loan and cooperated with investigators as requested,” Harding told the Times.

The former Republican lawmaker shot to notoriety last year as one of the sponsors of a controversial Florida law that outlawed the discussion of sexuality and gender in public school classrooms from kindergarten through grade 3.

Investigators have said that billions of dollars of Covid-19 relief funds have been obtained using fabricated, stolen or fake information. The Justice Department’s Covid-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force has brought several high-profile fraud cases across the country.

A former Florida lawmaker who sponsored a bill dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law by critics has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds.

When the bill was signed into law last year, it was stated that it was about protecting our kids, empowering parents, and making sure they have the information they need to raise their child.

An Indictment against Michael Harding, 35, of lying on a Loan Program for a Coronavirus Pandemic Disaster Loan

In December, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Harding, 35, who was accused of lying on his applications to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, which gave out loans to businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. One day later, he resigned from the House of Representatives.

The Florida House Republicans website describes Harding as a “serial entrepreneur” who started his businesses in several different areas.