A former Florida lawmaker pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements in connection with Covid-19 relief fraud, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
Former Republican state Rep. Joseph Harding acquired more than $150,000 in Small Business Administration loans by lying on loan applications, the department said. Harding is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, the release said. A wire fraud conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while money laundering and making false statements carry a maximum of 10 and five years, respectively.
Harding was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020 and announced his resignation after he was charged in December. In a statement to The New York Times last year, he said he had pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance. “I want the public and my constituents to know that I fully repaid the loan and cooperated with investigators as requested,” Harding told the newspaper at the time.
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