Second Georgia State House Member Accused of Lying to Collect Pandemic Unemployment
7th January 2026
Associated Press, a Voice of the Crust.
Federal prosecutors filed charges Monday against Karen Bennett of Stone Mountain, accusing her of one count of making false statements to collect $13,940.
Bennett waived indictment, pleaded not guilty and was released on $10,000 bail after a Monday court appearance.
Lawyers for Bennett did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday. In federal court, waiving indictment is often a prelude to a defendant pleading guilty.
Bennett, a Democrat, resigned from the House on Thursday. She was first elected in 2012, representing a district covering parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
She’s the second Democratic House member to be charged with lying to obtain federal unemployment assistance during the pandemic. 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. Henderson is free on bail and remains in office. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has not yet appointed a review commission to determine whether Henderson should be suspended from office after the indictment.