OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A Republican lawmaker has responded after a shocking raid on his home was carried out by FBI agents this week.
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee is grappling with accusations that he falsified campaign reports on the heels of the first-term lawmaker beating Courtney Johnston in the Republican primary.
“It has been widely reported for months that my campaign made mistakes in our initial financial filings. We have worked diligently with attorneys and reporting experts to correct the errors and ensure compliance going forward,” Ogles said on social media, noting that agents confiscated his cellphone.
“Last Friday, the FBI took possession of my cell phone. It is my understanding that they are investigating the same well-known facts surrounding these filings. I will of course fully cooperate with them, just as I have with the Federal Election Commission. I am confident all involved will conclude that the reporting discrepancies were based on honest mistakes, and nothing more,” he added.
It has been widely reported for months that my campaign made mistakes in our initial financial filings. We have worked diligently with attorneys and reporting experts to correct the errors and ensure compliance going forward. Last Friday, the FBI took possession of my cell phone.…
— Congressman Andy Ogles (@AndyOgles) August 6, 2024
According to local media, an FBI spokesperson declined to comment, referring questions about Ogles to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Law enforcement sources in Maury County, where Ogles’ home is located, were not notified about any searches, although one source was told that the FBI had executed a search warrant somewhere in the county in recent days,” NewsChannel 5 reported.
The search warrant was executed immediately after Ogles defeated Courtney Johnston in the Republican primary as he seeks a second term in the U.S. Congress. Department of Justice guidelines generally prohibit law enforcement from taking any overt actions in investigations of a political candidate in the 60 days before an election.
The outlet added:
Back in May, Ogles filed a series of amended campaign financial reports, admitting he had not personally loaned his campaign $320,000 as he had reported back in 2022.
Other amendments to his campaign financial reports resulted in Ogles retracting claims regarding thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and expenditures that he had previously reported to the Federal Election Commission.
This development followed a report by NewsChannel 5 Investigates that questioned whether Ogles had the financial resources to make the $320,000 personal loan he reported. Despite disclosing the loan, Ogles’ personal financial statements revealed no significant investments or even a savings account.
The Campaign Legal Center, a watchdog group, subsequently lodged a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics, drawing a parallel between Ogles’ actions and those of disgraced New York Congressman George Santos.
Santos, who represented New York’s 3rd Congressional District, was expelled from Congress in December and is currently facing criminal charges for allegedly falsifying personal loans to his campaign to qualify for additional contributions.
Democrats went all-in to win the seat in a special election that was held in February. Republicans Mazi Pilip, a lower-profile legislator from Nassau County, and former Representative Tom Suozzi, a well-known Democrat in the area who previously represented the district before quitting to run for governor in 2022, ran a close race against one another, but Suozzi won the seat, which decreased Republicans’ already slim majority.
With a vote of 311 to 114, the House went above and beyond the two-thirds necessary to remove the indicted Republican from office months earlier.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) sponsored the expulsion bill after his panel released a report that found “significant evidence” of Santos’ criminal wrongdoing, Politico reported.
As the vote came to a close, the Republican from New York told reporters: “It’s over. They have just established a harmful new standard for themselves.”
