Alphonso Michael Espy, called Mike Espy, (born November 30, 1953) was a U.S. political figure. From 1987 to 1993, he served in the US House of Representatives from Mississippi. He served as the Secretary of Agriculture from 1993 to 1994. He was the first Southerner and the first African-American Secretary of Agriculture. On August 27, 1997, he was indicted on corruption charges relating to his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture. He was acquitted on all charges on December 2, 1998.