The Republican state lawmaker behind legislation that's pushed some LGBTQ+ teachers in Florida to leave education is facing federal charges for allegedly defrauding a federal program meant to provide aid for small businesses of his during the Covid-19 pandemic.
State Rep. Joseph Harding was indicted by a grand jury and has been accused of falsifying bank statements and making illegal bank transfers in order to wrongfully obtain $150,000 in federal pandemic relief funds for businesses that were not actually operating at the time.
