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Florida State Rep. Joseph Harding (R) charged with $150,000 Covid relief fraud

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essentialsaltes

essentialsaltes

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State Rep. Joseph Harding obtained more than $150,000 in SBA loans by lying on his loan applications, according to a news release from the Justice Department. Prosecutors allege Harding listed dormant business entities on his applications, fabricated the numbers of people he employed and submitted fake bank statements.

Harding, 35, is set to go to trial for charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements, DOJ said in the release. 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.
 
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Larnievc said:
It always seems to be the right who are doing the criming or are vote cheats.
Click to expand...

It only seems that way because you are focusing on the criminal charges and guilty pleas, rather than opening your eyes to all the accusations and innuendo. There, the leftists are ahead by a mile!
 
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Former Rep. Harding pleads guilty to COVID-related loan charges​


In December, Harding was indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements.

Harding resigned from his position in the legislature soon after.

“The greatest honor of my life was representing my hometown and my constituents in the Florida House. I have met thousands of you; we have met at church, your front porch or the grocery store and for two years I gave you my all, representing our common values and not backing down on core principles I believe in with all my heart,” Harding said.

[Apparently 'not stealing' is not one of those core principles and common values.]

“During the past legislative session I have felt the support of millions of Americans while fighting for our shared concerns and for the rights of parents.

He sponsored the Parental Rights in Education law, which ... prohibits educators from teaching K-3 grade students about gender identity and sexual orientation.
 
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essentialsaltes

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Prosecutors urge prison sentence for former Rep. Joe Harding​

With a sentencing hearing scheduled Sept. 11, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday that former state Rep. Joe Harding, R-Ocala, should be sent to prison for fraudulently applying for business loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. [I understand they did not suggest any particular length of time. Harding has been cooperative since being caught, so a lighter sentence is "probably appropriate"]

Harding, who resigned from the House after being indicted in December, pleaded guilty in March to charges of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements.
 
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essentialsaltes said:

Prosecutors urge prison sentence for former Rep. Joe Harding​

With a sentencing hearing scheduled Sept. 11, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday that former state Rep. Joe Harding, R-Ocala, should be sent to prison for fraudulently applying for business loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. [I understand they did not suggest any particular length of time. Harding has been cooperative since being caught, so a lighter sentence is "probably appropriate"]

Harding, who resigned from the House after being indicted in December, pleaded guilty in March to charges of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements.
Click to expand...
I was in Ocala for a week one afternoon.
 
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essentialsaltes

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Former Rep. Joe Harding (R-Williston), who plead guilty in March to one count each of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements as part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain a $150,000 federal Covid-19 relief loan, was sentenced to four months in prison.

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced to prison a former Florida state legislator who catapulted to national attention for being the sponsor of a bill barring classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity that [I am contractually obligated to point out is formally entitled the Parental Rights in Education law]
 
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essentialsaltes

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Harding told Fox News Digital he takes full responsibility for his actions and that the story has been misrepresented by many media outlets, making the situation even more difficult.

Harding explained that his legal problems arose when his brother-in-law, whom he says "committed pretty massive fraud totaling over $8 million," approached him during a vulnerable time of his life in 2020 and misled him into getting involved in a scheme where false information was included on a COVID loan form.

"I was not aware what he was doing, but I listened. I listened to him and, you know, allowed myself to get influenced and really, in many ways, get conned and manipulated by him," Harding said. "That would be the right way to put it, and he actually applied for the loans with my permission to apply for a loan. But he knew how to do the work, knew how to manipulate it.

'I take full responsibility, but actually my brother-in-law is to blame.'
 
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