TALLAHASSEE — A Republican Florida lawmaker, who authored the controversial law dubbed "Don't Say Gay," was indicted for defrauding the federal coronavirus loan program for small businesses, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against state Rep. Joe Harding, R-Williston, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida.

Harding was the House sponsor of the Parental Rights in Education law, which restricts speech in public school classrooms about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Even before the law went into effect last summer, opponents said the legislation and its surrounding rhetoric contributed to a hostile environment for LGBTQ people. ...