And did he resign his post in the KKK after having a change of heart? Nope, his underlings beat up a black man then slit his throat, the resulting lawsuit forced them into financial bankruptcy.

Lake Wales, Florida — A mayoral candidate in Lakes Wales is speaking out about his involvement with the Klan.

70-year-old John Paul Rogers wants to become the next mayor of Lake Wales, but critics say he could have a tough time bringing the town together because he’s a former member of Ku Klux Klan.

Rogers, who is currently a commissioner, spoke with 10 News Tuesday afternoon and says, “I’m not running for the Klan for Grand Dragon.” That’s because Rogers has already had that title.

He says, “Well I resigned years ago, about 30 years ago. Jesus said, ‘He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone,’ and so far no one’s hit me with a rock. I don’t know of any act of any violence that was sanctioned by our organization, either national or in Florida.”

But Darryl Paulson, a USF professor, who is an expert in the Klan, points to a case in which two Klansman with the United Klans of America were convicted of attacking 19-year-old Michael Donald in 1981 in Mobile, Alabama. Donald was beaten up and his throat was cut.

Paulson says, “They hung him from a tree and they were sued in court and the civil judgment was launched against the United Klans of America. The jury awarded a six million dollar settlement to the mother of the slain child.”

He adds, “When Rogers says he resigned. He had no other choice. The United Klans couldn’t pay off the six million dollar settlement but they lost their headquarters. Their headquarters was sold as part of the judgement so in essence they were forced out of business. They were financially bankrupt.”

Paulson says, “I think that they were the most violent of the Klan organizations. I think their fingerprints are on a lot of different things that happened — most of them negative with respect to racial incidents during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Rogers had to know there was no way he couldn’t know it.” . . .

Voters will make the final decision when they cast their votes in the non-partisan mayoral race on April 5. Though party affiliation is not a factor in the race Rogers and Carter are both Democrats.

Update: big-pete adds:

As democrat mayor he could bring planned parenthood to town and do more damage to blacks in a year then he ever could have in a lifetime as a KKK member.

HT: GWP