STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — A second Georgia lawmaker has been accused of defrauding taxpayers by receiving pandemic unemployment assistance that she was not entitled to.
Federal investigators are looking into State Rep. Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain).
Prosecutors say she received $13,940 for her in-home physical therapy company, Metro Therapy Providers, which she says could not operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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However, investigators say the company was only briefly closed, and remained open through the majority of the pandemic.
On her application, Bennett only reported receiving income from Metro Therapy and the Georgia General Assembly. But she failed to disclose that she was also employed through a church and was receiving more than $900 weekly.
She is accused of making false statements.
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Last month, Covington Democrat Rep. Sharon Henderson was arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury for fraudulently taking $17K in pandemic unemployment.
It’s unclear how the investigation will impact Bennett’s position.
Bennett was issued a $10,000 bond.
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