A former Democratic lawmaker from Georgia has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly lying to obtain around $14,000 in unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Karen Bennett, who served for twelve years in the Georgia House representing the 94th District, stepped down on December 30—just days before the indictment related to a fraud scheme.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has claimed that between May and August 2020, Bennett made knowingly false statements as part of an attempt to defraud the government under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program.
She is facing a charge of making a false statement. According to U.S. Attorney Theodore Herzberg, Bennett received a total of $13,940 in PUA benefits and federal aid that she wasn’t entitled to.
The indictment further reveals that Bennett informed her employers, including the Georgia General Assembly and a company linked to a former lawmaker, that she had applied for enhanced unemployment benefits, asserting that she was unable to work due to the pandemic.
However, prosecutors argue that she was not actually hindered from performing her duties at Metro Therapy, where she was employed. They noted that her role, even pre-pandemic, was mostly administrative and didn’t require in-home visits, indicating she could still work from home regardless of COVID-19 restrictions.
After her application was approved, it appears Bennett submitted online certifications indicating she was actively looking for work. She even claimed to earn only $300 weekly from general meetings, which raises some eyebrows. But, in contrast, prosecutors insist that she wasn’t actively seeking employment, and her workplace was operational and generating income during that time.
Moreover, Bennett apparently did not disclose that she was working a $905-per-week job through a church while she was applying for PUA benefits.
This week, she pleaded not guilty, and bail was set at $10,000. In a letter about her retirement, she expressed pride in her contributions to the Georgia General Assembly and stated it had been a fulfilling experience, further stating she would be missed.
Bennett has yet to comment, and interestingly, another former colleague, Democratic Congresswoman Sharon Henderson, was indicted recently for similar charges, accused of fraudulently collecting about $18,000 in unemployment benefits amid the pandemic.
