State Rep. Rogers indicted in Jefferson County kickback scheme

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September 28, 2023

More shoes are dropping in a kickback scheme emanating from the Jefferson County Community Service Fund.

A 25-count indictment released Tuesday accuses longtime State Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham) of obstruction of justice. Rogers is subject to two of those counts. The alleged cover-up is related to his assistant Varrie Johnson Kindall being charged with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and tax charges last month.

Rogers is accused of bribing someone identified in the indictment as “Individual #1”

BREAKING: State Rep. John Rogers has been charged with Obstruction of Justice @WBRCnews pic.twitter.com/3h90QZBcrR

— Morgan Hightower (@mchightower) September 27, 2023

Rogers’ indictment comes after former Rep. Fred Plump (D-Birmingham) pleaded guilty to similar charges over the misuse of public funds.

In May, the Department of Justice accused Plump of illicitly taking money from the Jefferson County fund at the direction of another legislator – identified as “Legislator #1” – later admitted by Rogers as probably being him.

Rogers has maintained his innocence.

“I’m so clean on this one that I’m squeaky,” Rogers told AL.com in May.

The indictment states from 2018-22, Rogers was allocated approximately $500,000 for Jefferson County programs, from which he allegedly diverted about $400,000 of those funds to Plump’s baseball league, to which Plump gave $200,000 to Kindall.

Rogers has represented Jefferson County since 1982.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270

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