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Tag: lawmakers
Joe Harding

Florida 'Don't Say Gay' Lawmaker Sentenced To Prison For Fraud (VIDEO)

Former Florida Republican state lawmaker Joe Harding, author of GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” law, was sentenced Thursday on federal felony fraud and money laundering charges after fraudulently obtaining $150,000 in COVID funds.

Harding was facing up to 35 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, but after a plea deal he will serve four months.

“In court Thursday, the judge credited Harding for taking responsibility and showing remorse. However, he believed prison time was warranted as a general deterrence,” ClickOrlando reported. “In addition to the prison sentence, Harding will serve two years of supervised release.”

Harding is the author of the “Parental Rights in Education Act,” which Gov. DeSantis promoted by claiming it would only apply to grades K-3, before signing it into law. He later expanded the law’s reach to include all grades.

At the time of Harding’s indictment, The Guardianreported, “DeSantis signed the bill into law in March, sparking a chilling groundswell of similar legislation throughout the country. At least 137 bills in 36 different states have introduced educational gag order bills in 2022, according to an August report by Pen America.”

In March of last year, Harding responded to the Florida Democratic nominee for governor’s message that read: “To our LGBTQ+ students: I stand with you and I see you.”

He wrote: “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.”

Watch Harding arrive for sentencing below or at this link.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Why Experts Believe George Santos Probably Has A 'Personality Disorder'

Why Experts Believe George Santos Probably Has A 'Personality Disorder'

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has faced a litany of accusations in his short time as a lawmaker. From financial mishandling, professional embellishments, and personal occurrences, Santos has been accused of lies across the board.

Now, a new analysis is breaking down the dynamics of compulsive lying. According to Business Insider, psychological experts have explained how compulsive lying is often a characteristic of a personality disorder.

"Many psychologists say compulsive lying is often a feature of a personality disorder, such as antisocial-personality disorder or narcissistic-personality disorder," Insider's Alia Shoaib wrote. "Compulsive lying is not, in itself, classified as a disorder in the DSM, the handbook healthcare professionals use as the guide to classifying mental-health disorders."

Speaking to Insider, Christian Hart —a psychology professor at Texas Woman's University— weighed in with a detailed explanation of pathological lying.

Hart admitted that he cannot deliver a formal diagnosis of the New York lawmaker because he doesn't have specific details about his background but he also insisted that it does appear he engages in pathological lying.

According to Hart, Santos said, "lied about being a star athlete on a volleyball team at a kind of a lower-tier college — that wouldn't carry any cachet for most people. But just because we can't see the purpose of the lie doesn't mean the purpose doesn't exist for him. Perhaps, he's always had a sense of inferiority about not being an athletic person, and so to be seen that way means a lot to him where it would mean nothing to other people."

"In the sense that most people use the term 'pathological lying,' I'd say yes, it seems like he's got this long track history preceding his entering into politics where he's cultivated this reputation of being an extremely dishonest person," Hart said.

So what is the purpose of lying? According to Hart, "people don't lie unless there is some incentive to do so — though this incentive might not always be obvious to an outsider."

He also noted that: "When people have historically defined pathological lying, many of them have said these people lie with no apparent reason. But I argue that it does serve a purpose, it's just a purpose that we are unfamiliar with."

Offering a similar perspective, Drew Curtis, a psychology professor at Angelo State University, also offered an explanation about the origin of compulsive lying. Curtis explained that "pathological lying is often due to a combination of factors involving environment and genetics, both nature and nurture, and typically begins in later childhood and adolescence."

He also pointed out that Santos' deception appears to be a conscious act.

"I think in the case of Santos, he's come out, at least from my understanding, he's come out and apologized and said, you know, this wasn't necessarily true," Curtis said. "So then if someone's claiming that what they said wasn't true, then I think it's easier to say that was a deception, not a delusion."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Margie Whines That Her Life In Congress Is 'Miserable' -- And Costs Too Much

Margie Whines Her Life In Congress Is 'Miserable' -- And Costs Too Much

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) lamented her life as a lawmaker in a recent episode of a podcast.

"The nature of this job – it keeps members of congress and senators in Washington so much of the time, too much of the time to be honest with you, that we don't get to go home and spend more time with our families, our friends, you know, all in our district, or maybe just be regular people because this job is so demanding, and it's turned into practically year-round," Greene said. "And for those of us in the House of Representatives, we have to run for Congress every two years. So you're practically campaigning nearly the entire time that you're here serving as a representative. So that's just a couple of examples that I can give you that I believe is a recipe for disaster, and that's how people just fall into this social club. I would call it a social club here in Washington, DC."

Greene successfully ran for a second term in November 2022 and is reportedly yearning for the vice presidency in 2024.

"Now, for me, I have no interest in that. I really don't. And I'll tell you why," she continued. "Becoming a member of Congress has made my life miserable. I made a lot more money before I got here. I've lost money since I've gotten here. I have people come up to me and say crazy things to me out of the blue in public places that they believe because they read it on the Internet or saw it on some news show about me. So it's not a life that I think is, like, something that I enjoy because I don't enjoy it. But I'm committed to this job because I believe in it."

Watch below or at this link.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Boebert's GOP Rival Pens Blistering Endorsement Of Her Democratic Opponent

Boebert's GOP Rival Pens Blistering Endorsement Of Her Democratic Opponent

A former Republican rival to Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) has penned a new op-ed while endorsing the lawmaker's current Democratic rival.

In an op-ed published by the Montrose Daily Press, state Sen. Don Coram (R-CO) —who challenged Boebert in the state's primary election— offered a blistering assessment of the far-right lawmaker.

According to Coram, the Colorado lawmaker “spends her time jet-setting around the country promoting herself and extreme rhetoric that only divides this country further,” wrote Coram. “It’s disgraceful and we should expect more from our United States representative.”

Coram also urged voters to throw their support behind former Aspen City Councilmember Adam Frisch in November's race which is expected to be a relatively close election.

While he did admit that their political preferences differ from Frisch's, he still believes he is the better candidate. “Naturally, Adam and I differ on various policies and issues," he wrote. "However, I know that he is the type of person who will come to the table and have a conversation. That is what we should expect from our representative.

Noting some of the aspiring lawmaker's strong attributes, Coram lauded Frisch personally and professionally. “I believe Adam Frisch is a good man," he wrote.

"I have had the opportunity to visit with him and get to know him better over the last few months, I know him to be decent, honest, and persistent," he added. "He has demonstrated that he is more interested in representing the district than being a celebrity. That’s important."

Coram also included a clear message to voters. "Let’s elect someone who cares about representing the majority of people in the middle that are fed up with extreme partisanship and juvenile antics," he wrote.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.