Georgia Rep. Karen Bennett resigns after federal COVID unemployment fraud charge
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Georgia state Rep. Karen Bennett, who held her seat since 2012, announced her resignation Thursday after being federally charged with allegedly fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 unemployment benefits; she waived indictment, pleaded not guilty to a single count alleging about $13,940 in benefits and was released on $10,000 bond. Her departure — along with Rep. Lynn Heffner’s earlier resignation — leaves Democrats with 79 of 180 House seats as the new session begins, requires Gov. Brian Kemp to call special elections to fill the vacancies, and makes Bennett the second Georgia Democratic House member charged in pandemic unemployment fraud, alongside Rep. Sharon Henderson.
COVID Fraud and Enforcement
State and Local Public Corruption
State-Level Political Corruption