The COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world, folks mental health and their bank accounts. From government funded stimulus checks to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), some Americans saw some type of financial relief during such an unprecedented time.
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However, federal prosecutors allege one Black Georgia lawmaker fattened her pockets with unemployment benefits she wasn’t qualified to receive.
Karen L. Bennett, who represented Georgia House District 94 in parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, allegedly first applied for Unemployment Insurance benefits, but was denied, news station KRCG 13 reported. The Justice Department says she then submitted a PUA application; a program designed for people who couldn’t work due to the pandemic but didn’t qualify for typical unemployment benefits, in 2020.
Authorities allege Bennett told the Georgia Department of Labor she couldn’t work as a physical therapist because she was “unable to reach my place of employment because of a quarantine imposed as a direct result of COVID-19” in her May 2020 PUA application, according to local news station Fox 5. But prosecutors say those were lies.
Bennett’s role at her company, Metro Therapy Providers, Inc., was administrative and home-based, investigators alleged. And because she reportedly worked from her home office, prosecutors argue she was never prevented from working throughout the pandemic.
The longtime Democratic legislator is also accused of failing to disclose an additional weekly paycheck of $905 she allegedly received from a church during the same period, pocketed $300 weekly from the Georgia General Assembly and reported that she was actively looking for work.
Investigators claimed, per court documents obtained by Fox 5, Bennett allegedly pocketed $13,940 in PUA between March and August 2020. But authorities alleged she was double-dipping, collecting PUA checks and from her work at the same time.
On Monday (Jan. 5), she was indicted on one count of making false statements, a felony. Bennett pleaded not guilty and is currently out on a $10,000 bail, according to ABC 33 40.
Bennett retired from her role as the State Representative for House District 94 after 12 years of service on Jan. 1, CBS News reported. She did not state the reason for her retirement in a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, but called her role “a distinct honor,” “a labor of love” and “one I will deeply miss.” Bennett isn’t the only Georgia lawmaker facing pandemic unemployment fraud charges.
Bennett isn’t the only Georgia lawmaker accused of illegally receiving pandemic unemployment funds. Rep. Sharon Henderson was arrested on Dec. 8, 2025, after a federal grand jury charged her with two counts of theft of government funds and ten counts of making false statements. The U.S. Attorney’s Office accused her of illegally collecting nearly $18,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits while serving as an elected official.
Henderson, who has not resigned from her post, pleaded not guilty and asked Facebook supporters for donations to help her fight what she called “wrongful” accusations. That GiveSendGo fundraiser has raised zero dollars.
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