A federal grand jury has indicted former Georgia state Rep. Karen Bennett on charges that she made false statements to obtain nearly $14,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Bennett, a Democrat who represented House District 94 for more than a decade before resigning effective Jan. 1, is accused of fraudulently collecting approximately $13,940 through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, a federal relief initiative created during the COVID-19 crisis for workers not eligible for traditional unemployment insurance, according to CBS News.
According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Bennett submitted a benefits application in May 2020 claiming her in-home physical therapy business, Metro Therapy Providers Inc., could not operate due to quarantine rules and shelter-in-place orders. She reported income only from her legislative salary and the company, asserting she was unable to perform work requiring in-person contact.
Federal prosecutors allege Bennett failed to disclose additional employment with a church, from which she received weekly pay of roughly $905 during the same period she was collecting unemployment benefits. Investigators further contend that Bennett’s role at Metro Therapy was largely administrative and home-based, undercutting claims that pandemic restrictions prevented her from working.
The indictment alleges Bennett received PUA benefits between March and August 2020. She is charged with one count of making false statements and, if convicted, could be ordered to repay the funds.
Bennett pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10,000 bond. In a resignation letter dated Dec. 31, 2025, to Gov. Brian Kemp, Bennett said she was proud of her service but did not cite a specific reason for stepping down.
The case marks the second federal indictment of a Georgia House Democrat tied to pandemic unemployment benefits in recent months. In December, Rep. Sharon Henderson of Covington was charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $17,000 through similar programs.
U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg has said the investigations reflect broader federal efforts to claw back improperly obtained COVID-19 relief funds, which totaled trillions of dollars nationwide.
Bennett’s former district, which includes parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, will be filled through a special election later this year.
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Only $14K – that makes her a rank amateur especially compared to those that stole millions. Still wrong and she needs to be punished accordingly but most likely will get a soft slap on the wrist if that.