A former Democratic state lawmaker in Georgia is reportedly facing federal charges after prosecutors accused her of fraudulently collecting pandemic-era unemployment benefits, adding to a growing list of public officials ensnared in alleged misuse of COVID-19 relief funds.
Former Georgia state Rep. Karen Bennett was charged Monday with improperly obtaining nearly $14,000 in federal unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to reporting from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Federal prosecutors allege Bennett received $13,940 in unemployment payments and supplemental benefits in 2020 after falsely claiming that the pandemic prevented her from working.
Court filings cited by the AJC show Bennett has pleaded not guilty to the charges. She could not immediately be reached for comment following the announcement.
The case drew additional attention because Bennett resigned from her seat in the Georgia House of Representatives just days before the charges were filed, according to The Georgia Recorder. Her sudden departure has raised questions among critics about accountability and transparency, particularly as details of the alleged scheme came into focus.
According to charging documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Atlanta and cited by The Georgia Recorder, Bennett submitted an application for federal pandemic unemployment assistance in May 2020. In that application, she listed two employers: the Georgia General Assembly and Metro Therapy. Prosecutors allege Bennett claimed her work involved providing in-home physical therapy services and that pandemic-related restrictions prevented her from performing that job.
Federal authorities now say those claims were false. The charging document states that before the pandemic, Bennett’s actual role with Metro Therapy was administrative, not clinical. She allegedly worked from a home office and did not provide in-home services to patients.
“Before the pandemic her actual role with Metro Therapy was an administrative one and she worked from her home office; she did not provide in-home services for clients,” the charging document states, according to The Georgia Recorder. Prosecutors further allege that Bennett was not blocked from accessing her home office during the pandemic and was able to continue working as usual.
The document also notes that therapists who actually provided in-home services for Metro Therapy clients were able to resume their work after a brief disruption, undermining Bennett’s claim that pandemic restrictions prevented her from working.
The case adds to broader concerns about fraud tied to massive COVID-19 relief programs, which were rolled out rapidly during the pandemic with limited upfront verification in an effort to get money out quickly. While those programs were intended to help Americans who lost work through no fault of their own, they have since been plagued by widespread abuse and improper payments.
Bennett’s case is not an isolated incident. In December, another Georgia Democrat, state Rep. Sharon Henderson, was arrested and charged with similar pandemic-era unemployment fraud, according to reporting from The Georgia Recorder on Dec. 8, 2025.
Taken together, the cases have fueled criticism from conservatives who argue that lax oversight and rushed relief programs invited abuse — even from elected officials entrusted with public funds and public trust.
As Bennett’s case moves forward in federal court, it underscores the continued effort by prosecutors to claw back allegedly stolen pandemic funds and hold individuals accountable, regardless of political position. The outcome could also intensify scrutiny on how pandemic relief was distributed and who benefited from programs meant to help struggling workers, not line the pockets of those who allegedly never stopped working.
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