Suspended Georgia Rep Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud
A suspended state representative in Georgia has pleaded guilty in federal court to unemployment fraud dealings made during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
Sharon Henderson, the third official in a string of Georgia Democrats to plead guilty, admitted to fraudulent unemployment dealings resulting from the 2020 pandemic, collecting a total of $17,811.
“While running for and holding political office, Representative Henderson was fleecing taxpayers, lying to steal money from federal programs intended to help people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic,” U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said in a press release.
“Her prosecution and conviction demonstrate that elected officials who enrich themselves through fraud will be held accountable for violating the public’s trust.”
In June 2020, while running for election to the Georgia General Assembly, Henderson submitted an application for federal pandemic unemployment compensation. While applying for benefits, she stated that she was employed with Henry County Schools, despite the fact that she had not worked there in nearly two years, according to the Department of Justice.
Prior to that, she worked as a substitute teacher for a week. While working as a substitute teacher for the school system, she had signed an acknowledgment form stating that her role as a substitute teacher did not qualify her for unemployment benefits.
While appearing in court in December 2025, Henderson pleaded not guilty, the Georgia Recorder reported. In January, Gov. Brian Kemp suspended her from her position as a state representative.
Her seat was left empty during the state Legislature’s 2026 session and the following special session.
Officials have commented on the situation. “Pandemic relief programs were created to help Americans facing genuine hardship—not to enrich those willing to lie for personal gain,” Marlo Graham, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a press release.
He continued, “When an elected official abuses taxpayer-funded programs through fraud, it undermines public confidence in both government institutions and the integrity of public service.”
According to the DOJ, Henderson falsely claimed that she had worked for Henry County Schools throughout the duration of 2019 until March 10, 2020. Additionally, she stated that she had proof of earnings through pay stubs and that she was unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following this, she submitted false certifications on a weekly basis, stating that she could not get to her place of work due to a pandemic quarantine. Following her swearing-in as a state representative, she submitted eight false certifications in June of 2021, according to the DOJ.
According to the Georgia Recorder, Hertzberg said Henderson continued to receive unemployment compensation after being sworn in as a state representative in 2021.
Henderson represented District 113, encompassing Newton County and a portion of Covington, for six years, following her victory over incumbent Democrat Pam Dickerson in 2020. She was successfully reelected in both 2022 and 2024.
However, in April 2026, during the Democratic Party primary race, she lost in her effort to unseat incumbent state Sen. Tonya Anderson.
Karla Daniels Hooper, a Democrat, will run against Don Scarbrough, a Republican, this November for the district’s seat.
Two other Democrats, Rep. Karen Bennett and Rep. Dexter Sharper, both former Georgia legislators, pleaded guilty earlier in the year on related counts. Bennett was mandated to pay back nearly $14,000 and a $1,000 fine but did not receive a jail sentence from U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross.
Henderson is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 3, appearing before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford will serve as the prosecutor.
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