A Georgia lawmaker representing parts of Newton County is facing an abrupt political crisis after federal authorities arrested her Monday on charges that she illegally collected pandemic unemployment benefits while campaigning for office.
State Rep. Sharon Henderson, who serves District 113 in the Georgia House, was taken into custody following a federal grand jury indictment accusing her of theft of government funds and making false statements—a total of 12 felony counts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Federal prosecutors say the case centers on a series of unemployment claims Henderson filed in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 shutdowns. At the time, she was a candidate for the same legislative seat she now holds.
According to court documents, Henderson claimed she had been employed by Henry County Schools through March 2020 and that the district’s pandemic closures left her out of work.
Investigators, however, say the reality was far different: she last worked for the district as a substitute teacher for five days in 2018 and had not been employed there since.
Prosecutors allege Henderson used that outdated employment history to claim COVID-related hardship, submit weekly certifications, and ultimately collect just over $17,000 in federal benefits.
The U.S. attorney’s office did not mince words in its criticism.
“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 Hertzberg said, adding that officials who “steal from the needy to enrich themselves will be held accountable.”
Henderson is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin Anand and enter a not-guilty plea. Neither she nor her legal team has released a public statement.
Her arrest represents a dramatic turn for the Democrat, who was sworn into office in January 2021 and whose district includes western Newton County and parts of Covington.
The indictment raises immediate questions about whether she will remain in her seat as the legal process unfolds—and how voters will respond in a state where faith in public institutions remains deeply strained.
For now, the case moves to federal court, where prosecutors will attempt to prove that one of Georgia’s elected officials took advantage of a crisis meant to keep struggling families afloat.
