Karen presumably comes from Providence, Rhode Island, where she met her husband Bart. Bart is the nominal head of the Freedom League, and dedicated to bringing law and order to New Orleans... and displacing John Colton as administrator.
Although Bart is the public face of the League, Karen runs the show. She's the one who coordinates the scheme to discredit John by having secret League member Frank Bishop go around town wearing a clown mask, assaulting women, and cutting off locks of their hair. She accidentally gives away her involvement to Yancy, who takes her, Bart, and Frank into custody.
