Georgia State Rep. Sharon Henderson was arrested Monday after federal prosecutors accused her of illegally collecting pandemic unemployment money while she was a political candidate and later while serving in office. She is scheduled to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge at 1 p.m. and is expected to plead not guilty.
Federal investigators say Henderson first applied for pandemic unemployment benefits in June 2020, months after Congress created emergency aid programs for workers affected by COVID-19 shutdowns. At the time, Henderson was running for a state House seat and claimed she was unemployed because Henry County Schools had closed. Prosecutors say that information was false, noting she had not worked for the school system since briefly serving as a substitute teacher in 2018—and that her employment agreement specifically said substitutes were not eligible for unemployment pay.
According to the indictment, Henderson continued certifying weekly benefits into mid-2021, including eight filings made after she was sworn into office as state representative for District 113. During those filings, officials say she repeatedly claimed she was unable to work because of pandemic-related issues. Investigators allege those statements allowed her to receive $17,811 in benefits she was never entitled to.
Federal authorities sharply criticized the alleged conduct. U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said Henderson is accused of “lying to profit” from a program meant to help residents facing real financial hardship. FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown said she “chose greed over compassion,” and Georgia’s inspector general said elected officials are not exempt from accountability.
The investigation involved the FBI, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General, and the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors emphasized that Henderson remains presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial.
Anyone who suspects pandemic-related fraud can file a report through the Department of Justice’s disaster fraud hotline or online complaint portal.
