Ga. Dem Representative Charged With Pandemic Fraud
8th December 2025
Georgia State Rep. Sharon Henderson, D-Covington, was arrested Monday after a federal grand jury indicted her on charges alleging she stole more than $17,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits by falsely claiming she had lost work due to COVID-19.
“It is shocking that a public official would allegedly lie to profit from an emergency program designed to help suffering community members,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement. “Politicians who violate the public trust and steal from the needy to enrich themselves will be held accountable.”
Prosecutors say Henderson, who joined the Georgia House in 2021, applied for federal unemployment programs in mid-2020 while running for office, asserting she had recently worked for Henry County Schools.