Third Georgia House Democrat charged with unemployment fraud
State Rep. Dexter Sharper has become the third Georgia House Democrat charged with lying to the government in order to receive unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said Sharper, a Democrat from Valdosta, improperly collected $13,825 in unemployment benefits between April 2020 and May 2021.
Sharper is accused of writing in his application that he had only one employer, Dexter Sharper Party Rental, and he had not worked since March 13, 2020. In 38 subsequent certifications, prosecutors said Sharper repeated he had not worked or earned wages and was actively looking for a job.
But prosecutors said Sharper was earning at least $325 per week from his position in the Georgia General Assembly. In addition, he was receiving $275 per week as a musician, and his rental business was generating $2,231 per week.
“When government officials lie to take money, and do it while holding an elected office, it violates the trust of citizens and weakens faith in our elected government,” Georgia State Inspector General Nigel Lange said in a news release.
Sharper was arraigned Friday in Atlanta before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard.
Reached by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday, Sharper declined to comment, saying in a text message that he has been advised by his legal representation not to comment on ongoing legal matters.
A spokesperson for House Democratic Leader Carolyn Hugley also declined to comment.
Two other former Georgia House Democrats, Karen Bennett and Sharon Henderson, have also been charged with pandemic fraud.
Bennett resigned from the state Legislature and pleaded guilty in federal court to the felony charge on Jan. 21.
Henderson has pleaded not guilty to similar charges. Gov. Brian Kemp suspended her from office after a recommendation from a bipartisan committee.
U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said more prosecutions against government officials would be likely to come after Henderson’s indictment.
Sharper spent 11 days hospitalized with COVID-19, and he carried around a portable oxygen machine with him when he returned to the Capitol in 2021. He wept to reporters as he recounted his experience and had advocated for public health safety measures to protect others.
About the Author
Michelle Baruchman covers the Georgia House of Representatives and statewide issues. She is a politics news and enterprise reporter covering statewide political stories.
