NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee said Tuesday that the FBI has seized his cellphone in an investigation into issues with his campaign finance reports.
The first-time member of the conservative Freedom Caucus said on social platform X that the FBI seized his phone last Friday and that he was already cooperating with the Federal Election Commission, promising to cooperate fully with the FBI.
Ogles just Defeated an opponent In the Republican primary election the previous day, he had been gaining momentum with the support of former President Donald Trump.
Ogles said it was his understanding that the FBI was investigating “inaccuracies in his initial financial reports that have been widely reported for several months.” Among the inconsistencies is that Ogles reported loaning $320,000 to his 2022 campaign, but then amended his report in recent months to remove the loan.
“We are confident that all parties involved will conclude that the reporting discrepancy was the result of an honest mistake and nothing more,” Ogles said in the post.
Ogles also said that in January Ethics Complaints The nonprofit Campaign Legal Center compared Trump to Republican congressman Donald Trump, who was ousted from the White House over his personal and campaign finances. George Santos In New York.
The complaint highlights that Rep. Ogles reported making a $320,000 loan to his campaign committee in 2022. However, the complaint states, “Rep. Ogles’ financial disclosure report does not disclose assets that would have enabled this loan. Rep. Ogles’ assets do not include bank accounts.”
The complaint continues that even if Ogles made the loans with debt proceeds, there is no public record to support that option.
“The discrepancies in Senator Ogles’ financial disclosure documents have no clear explanation in the public records and he should provide an explanation to the public,” the lawsuit states.
Ogles later amended his filing in May to show he had loaned the campaign only $20,000, and told news outlets that he had originally intended to “pledge” $320,000 to use in the campaign, but that the pledge was mistakenly included in his campaign reports.
“Financial disclosure laws exist because voters have a right to know about potential conflicts of interest among their elected officials,” Kedrick Payne, senior director of ethics for the CLC, said in a statement. “We urge a prompt and transparent investigation on behalf of the voters of Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.”
An FBI spokesman said Justice Department policy meant the agency could not confirm or deny an investigation and referred questions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, where officials declined to comment.
Last Thursday, Mr. Ogles defeated his well-funded Republican opponent, Nashville City Council Member Courtney Johnston, by 12 percentage points, despite Ms. Johnston calling Mr. Ogles a “scandalous, do-nothing pretense.”
In January 2023, Ogles was one of several Republicans who opposed Kevin McCarthy’s nomination for speaker, voting against him 11 times before reverting to his support. McCarthy was ousted in October.Mr. Ogles voted against his removal.
Ogles then finally responded by saying he said he was “wrong.” Graduated with a degree in International Relations This comes after local media raised questions about whether he had embellished his resume.
Ogules will face Democrat Maryam AbolFazli in the November election.
“The FBI’s execution of a search warrant and seizure of Andy Ogles’ cell phone is extremely upsetting, especially given the ongoing allegations of misappropriation and misrepresentation regarding his educational and employment history,” Abol-Fazli said in a statement Tuesday. “Congressman Ogles continues to bring scandal and embarrassment to the 5th District and must resign.”
Ogles would win his seat in 2022 with a Republican victory. redistricted states After the last census, the Democratic-heavy Nashville area was split into three congressional seats, with then-Nashville Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper taking the reins. To retirement.
his electionOgles has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden’s administration and last year filed articles of impeachment against Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. After Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and Harris became the leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, Ogles filed new articles of impeachment against Harris.
Ogles is a former mayor of Maury County, located two counties south of Nashville.
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Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.
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