(The Center Square) – Former Georgia state Rep. Karen Bennett pleaded guilty to false statements in connection with pandemic unemployment benefits, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
The Stone Mountain Democrat collected nearly $14,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits but failed to disclose $905 a week she received while working for a church, according to the federal indictment.
She will pay full restitution to the Georgia Department of Labor, according to federal court documents. Bennett could have faced a sentence of up to five years in prison.
“Bennett was elected to represent her fellow citizens and took a solemn oath to promote the best interests and prosperity of the state of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Instead, she violated that oath and, during an unprecedented emergency, lied to line her own pockets with taxpayer money intended to help community members in need.”
Bennett said she was unable to work at her company, which provided in-home physical therapy services, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment said she was working from home, supporting therapists providing services.
The $300 a week Bennett made as a member of the House of Representatives was the only money she claimed in her application, according to prosecutors.
Bennett was denied unemployment insurance in April 2020 but reapplied and was approved on May 7. She collected benefits through August, according to the indictment.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 15.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger scheduled a special election for Bennett’s post for March 10.
