BATON ROUGE — One of two people accused of trying to defraud an insurance company out of about $30,000 by falsely claiming they were injured in a parking lot accident works as an administrative secretary for the State Senate, a spokesperson for the legislature said. 

The staffer, 37-year-old Sarai Stansberry, was arrested last week alongside Rhashiedi Porter, 48, by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation after investigators say surveillance video showed they were not inside the vehicle when it was hit. They face charges of insurance fraud, perjury, false swearing and filing false public records.

Legislative spokeswoman Julie Baxter did not comment on Stansberry's employment status, saying that it was being handled as an internal personnel matter. 

Stansberry works for Yolanda Dixon, the Senate Secretary.

Agents said Stansberry and Porter provided sworn testimony claiming they were wearing seat belts inside their vehicle when it was struck by another vehicle. The pair also claimed they sustained injuries requiring more than five months of medical treatment, according to the government.

Surveillance video later obtained by the insurance company showed neither person was inside the vehicle during the accident, the AG's office said. After the footage was disclosed, both subjects voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit.