(The Center Square) – Georgia state Rep. Sharon Henderson pleaded guilty Thursday to making false statements to obtain funds administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Prosecutors say the Covington Democrat lied on federal documents to collect $17,811 in unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Henderson first filed for federal pandemic unemployment benefits in June 2020 while she was campaigning for her House seat and said on the application she was employed by Henry County Schools, prosecutors said.
“Although Henderson had worked as a substitute teacher for Henry County Schools for five days in 2018 (almost two years prior), she had not worked for Henry County Schools since then,” prosecutors said at the time of Henderson’s January indictment. “Additionally, the Substitute Teacher Agreement Henderson signed in 2018 included an acknowledgment that substitute teachers are not eligible to draw unemployment wages.”
Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Henderson from the General Assembly in January. She did not resign. The District 113 seat was vacant during the 2026 session of the General Assembly and a subsequent special session.
District 113 covers Newton County.
Henderson did not seek another term but unsuccessfully ran for the Georgia Senate District 43 post. Henderson lost in the primary to Tonya Anderson.
Democrat Karla Daniels Hooper will face Republican Don Scarbrough in November for the House District 113 post.
“Sharon Henderson was elected to serve the people of Georgia – not steal from them,” Anthony P. D’Esposito, inspector general of the U.S. Department of Labor, said in a statement. “By exploiting her position for personal gain, she violated the public’s trust and undermined the integrity of our institutions.”
Henderson will be sentenced on Nov. 3, ironically enough Election Day.
Two other former Georgia state representatives were also charged with pandemic-related unemployment fraud and pleaded guilty.
Stone Mountain Democrat Karen L. Bennett pleaded guilty to federal charges of making false statements to collect $13,940 of pandemic unemployment benefits. Valdosta Democrat Dexter L. Sharper pleaded guilty to the same charge for collecting $13,825 of pandemic unemployment benefits.
“Pandemic relief programs were created to help Americans facing genuine hardship – not to enrich those willing to lie for personal gain,” said Marlo Graham, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “When an elected official abuses taxpayer-funded programs through fraud, it undermines public confidence in both government institutions and the integrity of public service.”