Birmingham Lawmaker John Rogers to Resign, Plead Guilty in Federal Corruption Case

By Hannah Denham | hdenham@al.com After serving more than 40 years in the Alabama legislature, Rep. John Rogers will resign and plead guilty to federal felony charges in a kickback scheme that also brought down his longtime assistant and another lawmaker. Rogers, 83, signed an agreement to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to court documents made public on Monday. A federal grand jury first indicted Rogers in September for his involvement in a scheme to misuse public money intended to support nonprofits. He could face years in prison. A sentencing date hasn’t been set. When AL.com called Rogers’ phone number on Monday afternoon, an error message said that it was not a working number. His attorney, John Robbins, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Rogers, D-Birmingham, will resign from the Alabama House of Representatives, where he’s represented the city and parts of the metro area since 1982. Court records say he will resign immediately after a federal judge accepts his guilty plea. Rogers also agreed to pay nearly $200,000 to the Jefferson County Community Service Fund as restitution, per the plea...