[1] He began his career in elected office as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he served from 1965 to 1970.

In 1978, Rogers was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery and was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $5,000.

From 1999 to 2003, he simultaneously held seats on the New Bedford City Council and in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

[5] Rogers's defeat came months after he was accused of showing pornography to a minor; he was eventually found not guilty.

He ran for the Democratic nomination for his old House seat in 2004, finishing third behind Stephen Canessa and Mark A.