Alabama lawmaker agrees to plead guilty to federal charges and resign

 1601765766 
1684868400

Alabama House of Representatives

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama lawmaker has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges and resign from the state House of Representatives, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Rep. Fred Plump Jr., a Democrat from Fairfield, will plead guilty to the charges accusing him of misusing state funds and resign his position, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and federal investigators announced in a news release.

Prosecutors said before he was elected, Plump’s youth sports nonprofit received $400,000 in state grants from a legislator over five years and Plump in turn paid $200,000 of those funds as kickbacks to the legislator’s assistant, who was also Plump’s mistress, according to the information filed in federal court documents laying out the accusations.

Plump would submit false reports about the nonprofit’s use of the money, in some cases writing on checks that the money was for the youth dance team or cheerleading expenses, but the assistant would deposit the funds in her personal bank account, according to the court document. The assistant was not named.

The money was given between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022. Plump was elected to the state House in 2022.

Prosecutors said Plump later tried to obstruct the investigation in March by texting the assistant “red alert” and meeting to warn her about the investigation.

According to the plea agreement, also filed Tuesday, Plump agreed to plead guilty to the charges, pay restitution of at least $200,000 and resign from office immediately upon entering his guilty plea. A judge will set a date for Plump to enter his plea.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Plump’s attorney did not immediately return an email Tuesday seeking comment.

The money came from the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, which receives a portion of county sales and use taxes for Jefferson County lawmakers to distribute to projects and entities in their districts. During each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022, each state representative was allocated approximately $100,000 and each state senator was allocated approximately $240,000 to distribute.

 

Court ruling offers temporary victory for Alabama birth centers

The preliminary injunction requires Alabama public health officials to license birth centers that meet certain national standards.

Judges aiming to give Black voters more influence in Alabama set to redraw congressional districts

U.S. District Judge Stanley Marcus, noting a ruling will be issued “shortly,” said the three-judge panel is aware of the time constraints posed by elections next year when the state's seven U.S. House seats will be on the ballot. The court could rule as early as this week.

What would a government shutdown mean for me?

If a shutdown arrives, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others — including those working in the military and the Transportation Security Administration — will be forced to work without pay until it ends.

In Alabama’s Paint Rock Valley, researchers count every tree thicker than a pencil

In an effort to better understand the biodiversity of north Alabama, scientists are conducting a “tree census,” with the goal of studying roughly 100,000 trees for 50 years.

State Rep. John Rogers charged with obstruction of justice

The indictment accuses Rogers, a Democrat from Birmingham, and his assistant of offering additional grant money as a bribe to persuade a person to give false information to federal agents who were investigating possible kickbacks that prosecutors said were paid to Rogers' assistant.

After 12 years and a pandemic, Jefferson County’s health officer steps down

Dr. Mark Wilson is well-known for leading residents through the COVID-19 pandemic, but his legacy includes a larger effort to expand the role of public health.

More Front Page Coverage