The FBI seized Rep. Andy Ogles’ cellphone on Friday as part of an investigation into campaign finance documents, the congressman posted on social media Tuesday afternoon.
“It has been widely reported for months that my campaign made errors in our initial financial reporting,” Ogles said in a post on X, what was formerly known as Twitter. “We have been working diligently with legal counsel and reporting experts to correct the errors and ensure compliance going forward. I understand they are investigating the same well-known facts surrounding these reports.”
Ogles’ cellphone was confiscated the day after he survived a primary challenge last week, and he faces an ongoing investigation into his federal campaign finance returns and personal financial disclosures.
Ogles is seeking reelection this year in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Ogles defeated a well-funded primary challenge from Republican Courtney Johnston on Thursday night, who challenged Ogles’s integrity and performance during his first term. The U.S. Department of Justice does not typically take overt investigative action against political candidates that could influence people’s voting behavior within 60 days of an election.
Elizabeth Clement Webb, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Memphis field office, declined to confirm or deny the raids, in keeping with Department of Justice policy.
Mark Wildasin, a spokesman for the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, declined to confirm or deny the existence of a search warrant.
Ogles’ congressional office did not respond to a request for comment, but his chief of staff directed The Tennessean to cite Ogles’ social media posts.
Channel 5 reported Tuesday that the FBI executed a search warrant on Ogles, but did not say where the search took place or what was searched.
Ogles has faced an investigation and multiple complaints about federal campaign finance disclosures for more than two years.
Just before the 2022 primary, the Federal Election Commission filed a complaint against Ogles, accusing him of a “pattern of improper conduct” in his financial dealings. Ogles’ lawyer responded to a request for comment by threatening legal action.
He’s also had to deal with chronic issues stemming from his campaign finance disclosures: He’s been required to pay a $5,750 civil penalty for campaign finance violations after the 2022 election cycle, as first reported by Nashville Scene.
He recently admitted that $320,000 in self-loans that he reported as cash to the FEC over a two-year period were actually “promises” of funds that he never needed.
“We set aside funds. We put them into a joint account, which we know now we can’t do. So I have to say that technically it wasn’t entirely under the campaign’s control,” Ogles said. “That being said, when my wife and I decided to run for Congress, we set aside all funds that we could put into the campaign.”
Ogles’ personal financial disclosure does not reflect any savings or checking accounts he controls, and does not list the amounts he says he has given to the campaign. However, his disclosure does include a substantial mortgage originated in January 2022. Maury County real estate records do not list any real estate purchases by Ogles in January 2022. However, he did purchase a home adjacent to his parents’ home in September, shortly after winning the primary. He subsequently sold the home to the congressional district manager at a loss of $60,000.
“The money was real, it was there, it was available, and thankfully we never had to spend it,” Ogles said in a recent radio interview. “It was money we’d saved up from our own thrift. It was a big commitment. We put everything into it. … I truly felt this was God’s work.”
Ogles has said publicly that he has hired an outside campaign finance compliance consultant to “meticulously” review and correct the errors reported to the FEC.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Ogles said he would cooperate with the FBI and FEC.
“I am confident that all involved will conclude that the reporting discrepancies were the result of honest mistakes and nothing more,” he wrote.
Ogles is also currently facing an ethics complaint filed in January by the Campaign Legal Center, which is seeking an investigation into inconsistencies in his financial disclosures, including a $320,000 personal loan.
Kedric Payne, ethics director at the Election Law Center, said Tuesday that watchdog groups had anticipated a possible FBI investigation because of significant inconsistencies in Ogles’ financial reports, but said the swift response came as a surprise.
Payne, a former deputy chief counsel for Congressional Ethics, said such investigations typically take much longer.
“To move this quickly, especially in an election year, the evidence has to be strong,” he said. “What we’ve been complaining about appears to be the tip of the iceberg of what’s going on. It appears to be very serious.”
Ogles also acknowledged he made “mistakes” about the degree he earned from Middle Tennessee State University, following an investigation into allegations he exaggerated his qualifications and work history during the 2022 primary.
Staff writer Kelly Puente contributed to this report.
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