Federal prosecutors have accused a second former Georgia state lawmaker of lying to collect pandemic-era unemployment benefits, according to court actions described by the Associated Press.
Karen Bennett of Stone Mountain was charged Monday with one count of making false statements tied to $13,940 in unemployment benefits. Prosecutors said Bennett waived indictment, pleaded not guilty, and was released on $10,000 bail after a Monday court appearance. Her lawyers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday, the AP reported.
The AP said Bennett resigned from the Georgia House on Thursday. It reported that Bennett is a Democrat who was first elected in 2012 and represented a district covering parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
Prosecutors alleged Bennett lied in 2020 when she stated she was being prevented by quarantine from working for Metro Therapy Providers, a company she owned. The AP reported that prosecutors said Bennett’s role with the company was administrative and that she worked from a home office rather than providing therapy to clients.
Prosecutors also alleged that Metro Therapy continued operating and generating income after a brief disruption, according to the AP. In addition, the AP said prosecutors alleged Bennett failed to disclose that she received $905 in week pay from a church. The AP reported that Bennett has been a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The AP said the federal pandemic unemployment benefits were paid to people who lost their jobs because of COVID-19, using state unemployment systems, and that applicants had to certify every week that they remained unemployed to claim benefits.
Bennett is the second Democratic Georgia House member charged with lying to obtain federal unemployment assistance during the pandemic, the AP reported. It said Rep. Sharon Henderson, a Covington Democrat, was indicted in December on charges of theft of government funds and making false statements, accused of illegally collecting $17,811 in unemployment benefits.
The AP reported that Henderson is free on bail and remains in office. It also said Republican Gov. Brian Kemp had not yet appointed a review commission to determine whether Henderson should be suspended from office after the indictment, and that U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said in December other Georgia House members were being investigated in addition to Henderson. The AP said it was unclear if more charges will follow.
The developments are arriving as the Georgia Legislature prepares for a session. The AP reported that Democrats are likely to start the session Monday with 79 members in the 180-member House. It said in addition to Bennett, Democratic state Rep. Lynn Heffner of Augusta resigned Monday, saying her house was heavily damaged in 2024’s Hurricane Helene and that rebuilding has reached an “impasse,” raising questions about whether she could maintain residency in House District 130, which includes parts of Augusta.
With both resignations, the AP said Kemp must call special elections to replace Bennett and Heffner, and that it is unclear whether their successors will be seated before the regular session ends.