A former congressperson from Georgia entered a guilty plea on Wednesday for falsely claiming federal unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Karen Bennett admitted to one count of providing misleading information to collect $13,940, with the expectation of this plea following the dropping of charges on January 5.
Bennett resigned from her position in the House just prior to being indicted. She has been serving since her election in 2012.
While Bennett’s lawyers requested immediate sentencing, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross denied that request, scheduling the sentencing for April 15 instead.
Bennett’s attorney mentioned that she intends to repay $13,490, and the prosecutors agreed not to pursue prison time or any supervised release.
On Tuesday, Governor Brian Kemp announced a special election on March 10 to find a replacement for Bennett in House District 94, which covers portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
If no candidate secures a majority, a runoff will take place on April 7, while the current legislative session is set to adjourn by April 2.
Bennett is the second Democratic member of the House facing charges related to deceitful claims for unemployment assistance during the pandemic.
Rep. Sharon Henderson from Covington was indicted in December on accusations of stealing government funds and making false claims after allegedly unlawfully receiving $17,811 in benefits.
Henderson, who has been released on bail, is still serving in her role.
The review board plans to make a recommendation to Kemp on Thursday regarding Henderson’s suspension pending her trial.
According to prosecutors, Bennett, who is a physical therapist, misrepresented her situation in 2020, claiming that she couldn’t work at her company, Metro Therapy Providers, due to quarantine restrictions.
Prosecutors argue her actual role was primarily administrative, and she worked from a home office, not directly providing therapy. They also pointed out that her company continued to operate and earn income after a brief interruption.
Furthermore, it is alleged that Bennett did not disclose receiving weekly wages of $905 from her role as a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
During the pandemic, the federal government utilized state unemployment systems to distribute special unemployment benefits to those impacted by COVID-19.
Just like standard unemployment benefits, applicants had to demonstrate ongoing unemployment weekly to qualify for these benefits.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg commented, saying, “Ms. Bennett was elected to represent her fellow citizens and took an oath to promote Georgia’s best interests. Instead, she breached that oath and lied during a national emergency to enrich herself with taxpayer funds meant for those in need.”
