The group, a Tarzana-based organization called the Granada Forum, is an offshoot of the so-called “patriot movement,” which aims to persuade Americans to distrust and fear the government.
Recent forum discussions have centered on how “genocide” may result from overzealous federal gun-control laws and how the state or federal government can seize personal property without due process.
At a January meeting, the group heard a talk entitled “Federal Reserve Conspiracy” by conservative extremist Eustace Mullins, identified by the Anti-Defamation League as the author of anti-Jewish propaganda.
On Saturday, Rogers is scheduled to speak to the group at a North Hollywood hotel gathering, according to a Granada Forum telephone recording and flyer.
The topic of the senator’s speech is his support for the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says the federal government cannot force unreasonable mandates on the states. Another speaker will address gun control.
Rogers, who represents a vast district stretching from the Tehachapi Mountains to the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys, was out of state Thursday and unavailable for comment, a spokeswoman in his office said.
Granada Forum followers attend weekly talks on current affairs, such as the legal status of Proposition 187, or hear dire warnings of the government chipping away at their individual rights. Members called for comment could not be reached.
Last summer, when faced with criticism for his appearance before a reported white-supremacist group in Bakersfield, Rogers said he did not share in any racist beliefs. He said he viewed those attending the so-called Jubilation Celebration and Conference as “patriotic Americans . . . working to preserve and restore individual rights and freedoms.”
But lawmakers in the Legislature’s black and Latino caucuses scolded Rogers in writing for agreeing to address the Bakersfield gathering, where material considered to be anti-Semitic and racist was displayed.
On Thursday, David A. Lehrer, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said he wrote Rogers a letter on Feb. 3 asking him to reconsider his Granada Forum appearance. He had not yet received a reply.
“We find it abhorrent that an elected official would allow himself to be used by a group that clearly has racist and anti-Semitic connections,” Lehrer said. “The prestige of his office inevitably is lent to this collection of extremists.”
In his 17 years in the Legislature, Rogers, 66, has earned a reputation as one of the Capitol’s staunchest conservatives. His unbending opposition to government intervention has earned him the respect of some of his colleagues.
But Rogers’ choice of venue for some of his appearances has raised questions among some of his Antelope Valley constituents.
Rabbi Alan Henkin, of the Temple Beth Knesset Bamidbar, the only Jewish congregation in the Antelope Valley, said he fears the region will suffer if Rogers loses clout and credibility as a result of his appearances.
“This is just another in a pattern of the senator’s association with groups on the fringe that flirt with anti-Semitism,” Henkin said. “We’re very disappointed with him.”