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DOJ charges ex-Georgia Democrat lawmaker with allegedly fraudulently obtaining COVID unemployment benefits
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A former Georgia state Democrat lawmaker was federally charged for allegedly fraudulently obtaining nearly $14,000 in coronavirus-era unemployment benefits.
The development comes after Karen Bennett, who used to represent state House District 94, wrote a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Dec. 30 announcing that she would be «retiring» from her position on New Year’s Day after 12 years of service, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
«As a result of the false application and certifications, Bennett collected a total of $13,940 of PUA [Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program] benefits and federal supplements to which she was not entitled,» Theodore Hertzberg, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, wrote in a court filing this week.
Prosecutors allege the former representative applied for PUA benefits in May 2020 and disclosed that she worked for the Georgia General Assembly and ran Metro Therapy, a private business where her role consisted «of providing in-home physical therapy services.» They said in the application, Bennett claimed the job was «her primary occupation and primary means of livelihood» and that the «pandemic prevented her from performing any service in connection with» Metro Therapy.
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Karen Bennett, a Democrat who represented House District 94 in Georgia, is now facing a federal charge for allegedly fraudulently obtaining COVID unemployment benefits. (Georgia House of Representatives)
«In reality, Bennett was not prevented from performing her work for Metro Therapy or reaching her place of employment because of COVID-19 quarantine,» the filing continued. «Before the pandemic, her actual role with Metro Therapy was an administrative one, and she worked from her home office; she did not provide in-home services for clients.»
«She was not prohibited from reaching her home office because of the pandemic. She was able to continue working as usual from her home to support Metro Therapy throughout the pandemic, and the therapists who provided actual services to clients were able to continue their work after a brief disruption,» it added.
Court documents show Bennett pleaded not guilty to a charge of making false statements and was issued a $10,000 bond. Lawyers representing Bennett did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
«I am proud of the work accomplished by the Georgia General Assembly when we came together to advance policies that strengthened our state and improved the lives of all Georgians,» Bennett wrote in the letter announcing her retirement, which was obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. «Serving in this capacity has truly been a labor of love, and one I will deeply miss.»
Bennett used to represent a district that included parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is seen during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17, 2024. Rep. Bennett wrote a letter to Kemp on Dec. 30 announcing her retirement, but did not give a reason in the letter as to why. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In the charging document, prosecutors said Bennett applied for and was denied Unemployment Insurance benefits, which paved the way for her to file the PUA application.
In that application, Bennett also claimed in relation to her position at Metro Therapy that she was last able to work on April 10, 2020, and she was «unable to reach my place of employment because of a quarantine imposed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency,» prosecutors alleged.
«Once approved for PUA benefits, Bennett periodically submitted online certifications for every week for which she requested benefits. In each of those certifications, while she stated that she was receiving $300 per week from the General Assembly, she disclosed no other income,» the filing said, noting that Bennett claimed she was actively seeking other work.
«She submitted such certifications for weeks in March through August 2020. However, in reality, Bennett was not actively seeking work, Bennett was not prevented from working for Metro Therapy because of a COVID-19 quarantine, and Metro Therapy was still operating and receiving income,» the document said.
It added that, «Bennett failed to disclose and concealed that she had separate employment through a church and was receiving a paycheck from the church for $905 every week the entire time she was claiming PUA benefits.»
An aerial view of the Georgia State Capitol building. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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The Justice Department recently filed charges against Rep. Sharon Henderson, another Georgia state Democrat, on similar charges.
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President Donald Trump reacted on Tuesday after newly released photos appeared to show the husband of former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem cross-dressing in private messages to a number of women.
The images were allegedly part of a trove of hundreds of messages sent between Noem’s husband, Bryon, and three women, obtained by The Daily Mail.
The father of three appeared to be pictured in hot pink underwear, wearing a skin-colored shirt with large, faux breasts worn underneath.
The New York Post reported the photos were taken while acting out a «bimbofication» fetish, which focuses on hypersexual, exaggerated physical appearances.
Bryon Noem (L), husband of US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (R), listens as Secretary Noem testifies before the Senate Committee in Washington, DC, May 20, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)
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Another image appeared to show Bryon Noem posing with large, fake breasts in a tight light blue T-shirt while making a kissy face.
Trump told the Daily Mail he did not know about the photos and was surprised the Noem family confirmed their authenticity.
«They confirmed it? Wow, well, I feel badly for the family if that’s the case, that’s too bad,» Trump told the outlet. «I haven’t seen anything. I don’t know anything about it. That’s too bad, but I just know nothing about it.»
It is unclear if anyone else inside the administration knew about the alleged photographs.
Fox News Digital was unable to authenticate the photos independently.
Bryon Noem, the husband of former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem listens as she testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security in the Cannon House Office Building on December 11, 2025, in Washington, DC. The committee convened to hear testimony from top national security officials on potential worldwide threats. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
FIRED DHS CHIEF KRISTI NOEM FACES CRIMINAL REFERRAL FROM CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS
Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as Homeland Security Secretary last week after Kristi Noem’s March 5 ousting.
Kristi Noem is currently serving as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas.
In a statement to The Post, a spokesperson for Kristi Noem said she was «devastated» by the discovery.
«The family was blindsided by this, and they ask for privacy and prayers at the time,» the spokesperson said.
While the couple has been married for more than 30 years, Fox News previously reported rumors of an alleged affair between Kristi Noem and her top advisor, Corey Lewandowski, contributed to her dismissal from the DHS post.
Bryon Noem, husband of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, center, watches as Kristi Noem, secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), not pictured, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
NEWSOM DECLARES ‘TRUMP IS IN RETREAT’ AFTER NOEM OUSTER, DEMANDS MILLER BE ‘NEXT’
During her time as 33rd governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem was sued by a transgender and «gender nonconforming» advocacy group, The Transformation Project, after the state terminated a contract with the organization.
She also received backlash from the LGBTQ community for signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which advocates claimed sanctioned discrimination against queer people.
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The White House, Department of State and DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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INTERNACIONAL
El presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro no se enfrenta a cargos en Estados Unidos en este momento, dicen funcionarios
El presidente Donald Trump y el presidente de izquierda de Colombia, Gustavo Petro, han tenido una relación volátil, en la que Trump ha pasado de llamar a Petro “hombre enfermo” y “líder ilegal del narcotráfico” a, más tarde, “genial”.
Cuando The New York Times reveló recientemente que fiscales federales de Nueva York estaban investigando a Petro por posibles vínculos con narcotraficantes, muchos lo tomaron como una señal de que las relaciones habían dado otro giro.
El reportaje se dio a conocer meses después de que Estados Unidos capturara al presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, por cargos de narcotráfico, lo que llevó a los comentaristas políticos a preguntarse si las autoridades estadounidenses también tenían preparada una acusación contra Petro.
Sin embargo, funcionarios estadounidenses han asegurado al Gobierno de Colombia que Petro no se enfrenta en estos momentos a cargos penales relacionados con las investigaciones de Nueva York, según cuatro funcionarios de Estados Unidos y Colombia, que hablaron bajo condición de anonimato para tratar un asunto delicado.
Es posible que los funcionarios estadounidenses quieran tranquilizar a Petro, dijeron los analistas políticos, porque Colombia se enfrenta a la primera vuelta de las elecciones presidenciales el 31 de mayo. Aunque Petro está limitado a un solo mandato, puede influir en el candidato de su partido de izquierda, Iván Cepeda, quien encabeza las encuestas.
Cepeda, conocido por su labor en materia de derechos humanos y negociaciones de paz, no se ha comprometido con la estrategia militar que Petro ha desplegado recientemente contra los poderosos grupos de traficantes de su país, incluidos antiguos rebeldes de izquierda implicados en el tráfico de cocaína.
El gobierno de Trump está impulsando un enfoque militar de línea dura en toda la región, destinado a erradicar los cárteles y los grupos de traficantes.
Las dos investigaciones penales del Departamento de Justicia estadounidense sobre Petro, que no están relacionadas, están en sus primeras fases, y no está claro si alguna de ellas podría derivar en cargos penales, informó el Times. Las pesquisas han explorado, entre otras cosas, las posibles reuniones que Petro podría haber mantenido con narcotraficantes y si su campaña presidencial solicitó donativos a traficantes.
Petro negó tener vínculo alguno con narcotraficantes.
Los expertos jurídicos afirman que los fiscales federales estadounidenses suelen abrir investigaciones sobre políticos, incluidos jefes de Estado, sin llegar a presentar cargos. Las acusaciones pueden surgir de investigaciones más amplias sobre corrupción, narcotráfico y otros delitos.
Es poco habitual que el gobierno estadounidense presente cargos contra un jefe de Estado en ejercicio. A menudo, los cargos se desvelan después de que el dirigente abandona el cargo.
Aunque este tipo de investigaciones penales, delicadas y de alto nivel, suelen llevarse a cabo en secreto, el reportaje del Times sobre ellas no descubrió indicios de que la Casa Blanca desempeñara algún papel en el inicio de las pesquisas sobre Petro.
La Casa Blanca remitió una solicitud de comentarios al Departamento de Justicia y los fiscales federales se han negado a comentar la información del Times. El Departamento de Estado también declinó hacer comentarios para este artículo.
Petro, el primer presidente de izquierda de su país, provocó la indignación de Trump el año pasado con frecuentes y acaloradas críticas a sus políticas hacia América Latina e incluso hacia Gaza. Trump amenazó públicamente a Petro tanto con aranceles elevados como con acciones militares; las autoridades estadounidenses revocaron su visa y le impusieron sanciones.
Recientemente, parecía que los dos líderes habían hecho borrón y cuenta nueva, ya que tuvieron llamadas telefónicas y una reunión en la Casa Blanca en febrero que ambos describieron en términos entusiastas y dijeron que se había enfocado en trabajar juntos para combatir a los grupos de narcotráfico colombianos.
En ocasiones, Trump ha cambiado drásticamente su valoración de enemigos políticos después de hablar con ellos.
Las investigaciones penales se han recibido con profundo escepticismo en Colombia, en un momento en el que el Departamento de Justicia estadounidense es considerado una herramienta que Trump utiliza para perseguir a sus enemigos.
Según Rachel Barkow, profesora de derecho de la Universidad de Nueva York, los fiscales federales de todo Estados Unidos siguen emprendiendo el mismo tipo de acciones judiciales de siempre. “Pero el público externo no sabe cuáles están contaminadas y cuáles son los enjuiciamientos habituales, y ese es el problema que tenemos ahora”.
La noticia de las investigaciones llega también en un momento en que Trump, deseoso de ejercer el dominio estadounidense sobre el hemisferio, ha intervenido en varias elecciones latinoamericanas, lo que ha contribuido a impulsar una ola de derecha en la región.
La embajada de Colombia en Washington emitió un comunicado enérgico en el que refutaba el informe del Times. Petro lo calificó de injerencia electoral.
Los políticos de la derecha lo aprovecharon como un regalo político.
Abelardo de la Espriella, candidato de extrema derecha, dijo en un video que había llegado el momento de que Petro respondiera por sus “escándalos”.
Petro respondió a De la Espriella diciendo: “No me interesan los procesos en EEUU porque en mi país jamás me han acusado de algo como sugiere el New York Times”. La fiscalía colombiana nunca ha presentado cargos penales contra Petro.
Muchas personas en Colombia consideran que el momento de publicación del reportaje parece destinado a afectar las elecciones, dijo María Jimena Duzán, destacada periodista de investigación colombiana. “Aquí, la gente lo siente como un acto de intervención en la campaña”.
Figuras populares de la derecha, entre ellas el expresidente Álvaro Uribe, han intentado extender la sombra de la duda proyectada sobre Petro a Cepeda, el candidato de la izquierda.
Cepeda no respondió a una solicitud de comentarios, pero ha tachado públicamente las investigaciones de “rumores” destinados a dañar la imagen de Petro con fines políticos y electorales.
Pero las noticias sobre las investigaciones al final podrían beneficiar a la izquierda, señaló Duzán.
“Puede ayudar al candidato de Petro”, dijo Duzán, y explicó que la popularidad del presidente ha subido siempre que los colombianos han sentido que estaba siendo atacado por Trump.
Ese mismo efecto podría beneficiar ahora a Cepeda.
Varios días después de la aparición del reportaje del Times, una encuesta mostró que Cepeda seguía a la cabeza y había ganado terreno.
A pesar de las noticias sobre las investigaciones, Petro se ha mantenido prácticamente en silencio. Muchos colombianos esperaban que volviera a atacar verbalmente a Trump, dijo Luisa María Lozano, directora de ciencias políticas de la Universidad de La Sabana de Colombia.
En cambio, ha prevalecido una “tensa calma”. Trump también ha permanecido callado.
Es probable que los funcionarios hayan tratado de restar importancia a las investigaciones, dijeron los analistas, en un momento crítico.
El gobierno de Trump ha ampliado recientemente su lucha contra las drogas más allá del fentanilo, y ha dado prioridad a “aplastar el dominio de los cárteles y las bandas criminales” en toda América Latina, como dijo Trump en una reciente cumbre de líderes conservadores de la región celebrada en Florida.
Petro, quien no fue invitado a la cumbre, de cualquier forma ha adoptado una postura más dura frente a los poderosos grupos armados de su país.
Tras el fracaso de las conversaciones de paz con los grupos armados, “los militares están haciendo el proverbial combate contra las drogas que históricamente han hecho”, dijo Juan Gabriel Takotlian, experto en relaciones internacionales especializado en Colombia.
En caso de que gane Cepeda, dijo Takotlian, los funcionarios estadounidenses quieren la continuidad de las políticas que ha emprendido Petro, y añadió que Colombia es también un socio clave mientras Estados Unidos trabaja para estabilizar Venezuela, su país vecino.
Otro político de izquierda crítico seguramente no es la primera opción de Trump para la presidencia, dijo Lozano, la politóloga. Sin embargo, lo que parece más importante es tener un líder que colabore en el cargo, añadió, y señaló la alianza de Trump con la dirigente interina de Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, quien es una socialista declarada.
“Al final a Trump lo que le servía era un gobierno que se alineara y colaborara con los Estados Unidos”, dijo.
Luis Ferré-Sadurní colaboró con reportería desde Bogotá y Jonah E. Bromwich, Nicole Hong y William K. Rashbaum desde Nueva York.
Annie Correal es corresponsal para América Latina del Times.
Gustavo Petro,político,presidente,Colombia,sentado,reflexión,postura,Estados Unidos,entrevista,líder
INTERNACIONAL
Iran’s ‘basement’ Chinese drone networks spark fears of sleeper cell attacks on US soil
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Iran is building a decentralized drone warfare capability in Tehran’s apartment building basements, powered by inexpensive technology sourced from China, a leading defense expert has warned.
Draganfly’s Cameron Chell also said that this emerging system — centered on first-person-view (FPV) drones — could pose a threat not only across the Middle East but potentially to the U.S. homeland itself.
«The FPVs are Iran’s Hail Mary because they are very hard to defend, are incredibly effective, and can be delivered in a manner without having to have a central command,» Chell told Fox News Digital.
«So whether it’s the Iranian army, whether it’s militia groups or Iranian patriots, they can all create or procure their own FPVs and get offensive,» Chell said.
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Smoke rises after an Iranian drone was intercepted over the Bahrain Financial Harbour towers, which houses the Israeli embassy, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, March 6, 2026. Picture taken on a mobile phone. (Stringer/Reuters)
He added that «Iran could be reiterating FPVs and churning out more than 100,000 a month over time.»
«Iran’s got either militias or sleeper cells in the States who can, in my estimation, already build this equipment,» Chell clarified.
Chell’s warning comes as recent incidents in Iraq highlight the growing use of FPVs.
At Baghdad International Airport, Iranian-backed militias operating under the «Iraqi Islamic Resistance» umbrella have launched multiple FPV drone attacks.
Footage released in March 2026 allegedly shows an FPV drone striking a U.S. UH-60M or HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, while another attack successfully hit a U.S. AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar unit at the same base.
«FPVs are a central core theme, and Iran is building these itself, suspecting they’re pulling parts in from China and getting the parts through some pretty porous borders, so it is very difficult to stop that,» Chell said.
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A drone view of the site of an Iranian missile strike on a residential building, after Iran launched missile barrages following attacks by the U.S. and Israel, in Tel Aviv (REUTERS/Roei Kastro)
He warned that Iran’s strategy mirrors what has already occurred in Ukraine, where decentralized drone manufacturing has flourished.
«There will be, or already is, an underground industry for FPV and drone manufacturing, which will or is swelling up inside Iran, the exact same way that we saw it swell up inside Ukraine,» he explained.
«This is going to be happening in people’s homes in Iran, people’s basements, the basements of apartment blocks, where they can construct makeshift assembly lines.»
«I am confident China and Russia are shipping in parts to help support the development of drone assembly or manufacturing capability – which is a de facto decentralized cottage industry,» he warned.
Concerns extend beyond overseas battlefields as about 1,500 Iranians were intercepted at the U.S. border during the Biden administration.
Officials warn the unknown number who evaded detection raises fears of potential «sleeper cells.»
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Iran drone swarms threaten U.S. military assets in Middle East region (Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)
President Trump acknowledged the issue on March 11, saying, «A lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border, but we know where most of them are: We’ve got our eye on all of them, I think.»
«It is the beginning of an asymmetric capability that the Iranians will use against their neighbors and U.S. assets in the region, but also the U.S. homeland,» Chell said.
«We may even want to call it terrorist attacks, using FPV’s against their neighbors and practically anywhere in the world,» he added.
«It’s a matter of when we see FPV attacks, probably swarm, probably sophisticated, on U.S. soil.»
«Within the next eight months, the Iranians are going to have sophisticated drone systems that can defeat some RF/radio frequency jamming. They will start to use tactics like swarming or spoofing,» he warned.
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«It will be very, very difficult for the U.S. to take out these little drone factories in the basements of apartment blocks where civilians help. Cutting supply chains will also be difficult.»
«The primary choke point for the Iranians is to establish supply chains from China to have enough supply to constitute precision mass capability and/or consistent, pervasive asymmetric capability,» Chell said before stating that if this happens, «the war between Iran and the U.S. just gets a lot longer.»
war with iran, iran, wars, military tech, military
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