A Muslim Pennsylvania state lawmaker has been charged for allegedly stealing half a million dollars from a charity she founded.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement Thursday that Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell (D) had been charged with numerous charges of theft, perjury, and tampering.
Johnson-Harrell had previously made headlines for being offended by a Christian prayer offered before a session of the Pennsylvania Legislature in March.
Shapiro said that she had stolen money from Motivations Education & Consultation Associates, or MECA, a charity meant to collect donations to help the homeless, seniors and children.
He alleged that she spent the money on “vacations, designer clothing, luxury car payments, real estate purchases, past-due mortgage payments, and other personal expenses.”
Nation’s second-largest school district targeted by Trump over secretive trans policy
Video: Hunter Biden Hits New Rock Bottom, Agrees to Insane Cage Match Against Don Jr., Eric Trump
BREAKING IMPEACHMENT NEWS: Hearings on Tim Walz, Keith Ellison Impeachment to Begin Next Week
Midwest nasty: ‘Hoosier nice’ gets swamped in Trump White House’s redistricting revenge tour against Indiana Republicans
Sanford bets he can withstand likely Trump campaign jabs
Progressives in Washington, California, and Hawaii want to squeeze the wealthy
Rep Randy Fine joins House Freedom Caucus: ‘Strongest group of conservative patriots in Congress’
Hormuz choke point persists as Iran halts oil traffic despite Trump ceasefire
DoorDash data offers snapshot of economy voters are feeling ahead of midterms
Putin issues a decree calling for a ceasefire in fighting for Orthodox Easter holiday
Artemis II nears end of historic mission with splashdown off California coast
Trump blasts Biden admin for releasing illegal immigrant now charged in fatal hammer attack on Florida mother
Iran peace talks give JD Vance an opening in 2028 race
Mahmoud Khalil loses appeal to dismiss deportation case
Coast Guard seizes over 4,500 pounds of cocaine worth $34M from suspected narco-terrorist vessel on Easter
Shapiro said in the statement that she had turned herself in, had confessed to the crimes, and had agreed to leave the Pennsylvania Legislature.
“Her theft knew no bounds,” he said.
Later, in a statement released through her lawyers to the Associated Press, she said she disputed some the charges.
“I am saddened and dismayed by the nature of the allegations brought against me today,” Johnson-Harrell said.
“I vigorously dispute many of these allegations, which generally pertain to before I took office and I intend to accept responsibility for any actions that were inappropriate,” she added.
Johnson-Harrell had founded MECA in 2006.
She had been the first Muslim representative elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature.
