Feds want author of Florida’s 'Don’t Say Gay' bill to do hard time after COVID relief fraud guilty plea

Federal prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence for former Florida Republican state lawmaker Joe Harding, author of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, who plead guilty in March to charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements to fraudulently obtain $150,000 in COVID relief during the pandemic.

“Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Keen filed a sentencing memo asking the courts to put the disgraced lawmaker behind bars,” Florida Politics reports. “Federal guidelines and sentencing in similar cases suggest Harding should spend eight to 14 months in federal prison. But Keen said Harding’s cooperation with investigators may warrant cutting him some slack.”

Given the charges, Harding could have been looking at 35 years in prison, according to a March press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.

But prosecutors also cite Harding’s “genuine remorse and exceptional acceptance of responsibility,” suggesting it could warrant a lower sentence.

“In this case, the need for general deterrence is the most important factor, and it weighs in favor of a guideline sentence,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Keen wrote. “However, the Government acknowledges that mitigating circumstances — including Harding’s genuine remorse and exceptional acceptance of responsibility — may warrant a downward variance.”

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Harding, now 36, was a construction project manager who started his own lawn care company. He quickly became a right-wing darling after his anti-LGBTQ legislation, officially the Parental Rights in Education Act, was embraced by Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed it into law.

Harding’s still active social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter, has a pinned post from March of 2022 that reads: “To the parents of Florida: I stand with you and I see you. I’m sorry that there are people like below that want to take away your rights, sexualize your 6 year olds and lie to you.”

The end of his bio on X reads: “sponsor of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, ‘Don’t say….'”