Georgia Democrat Quits Before Being Accused of COVID-Related Fraud

A Georgia Democrat who quietly retired on New Year’s Day is now at the center of a COVID fraud scandal that’s blowing up across the state.

Former Rep. Karen Bennett, who held House District 94 for 12 years, was charged by the Trump Justice Department with allegedly stealing nearly $14,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits during the 2020 lockdowns. Prosecutors say she lied about losing work, hid income, and kept cashing government checks while still getting paid by the church where she worked.

According to the federal filing, Bennett claimed she couldn’t perform her “primary occupation” because of COVID quarantine rules. Investigators say that wasn’t true. She worked from home. Her business stayed open. And she pocketed $905 a week from a second job she never disclosed.

“She was fully able to work. She just wasn’t honest,” a federal investigator said.

Bennett submitted weekly certifications claiming no other income for months. Prosecutors say every one was false.

Her sudden resignation letter to Gov. Brian Kemp made no mention of the looming criminal case. She simply said the job had been a “labor of love.” Hours later, the charges dropped.

The case marks the second Georgia Democrat charged in a widening probe of Biden-era COVID fraud programs. Republicans say it’s only the beginning.

“This is exactly why President Trump ordered a nationwide crackdown,” one GOP strategist told us. “Democrats spent years lecturing Americans about shutdowns while some of their own were cashing in.”

Bennett pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10,000 bond. Federal prosecutors say more arrests could follow as investigators dig through thousands of suspect applications filed during the pandemic.