Harding, 35, was a construction project manager who started his own lawn care company. He shot to fame after pushing the anti-LGBTQ legislation, officially titled the Parental Rights in Education Act, which was later signed into law by Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis.
However, the former lawmaker’s political career took a sharp turn when he was indicted on six counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements in December. The charges were related to his role in attempting to obtain COVID funds in a fraudulent manner.
As per the charges, Harding allegedly applied for coronavirus relief funds through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program for his company, JH3 LLC in May 2020. To secure the loan, he submitted false documentation, including fake invoices and a fraudulent tax return.
