Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) confirmed that federal law enforcement officials recently seized his phone as part of an investigation into discrepancies involving campaign finance.
NewsChannel 5 first reported the FBI investigation and the search warrant that was executed at his home in rural Maury County early on Tuesday. The raid happened on Friday, one day after Ogles beat GOP primary challenger Courtney Johnston.
“It has been widely reported for months that my campaign made mistakes in our initial financial filings,” Ogles said in a statement. “We have worked diligently with attorneys and reporting experts to correct the errors and ensure compliance going forward.”
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“Last Friday, the FBI took possession of my cell phone,” he added. “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.”
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 NewsChannel 5, the investigation centered around a series of amended campaign finance reports that Ogles filed in May in which he admitted that he had “not personally loaned his campaign $320,000 as he had reported back in 2022,” the outlet reported.
The report said other changes were made to his campaign finance reports, including “retracting claims regarding thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and expenditures that he had previously reported to the Federal Election Commission.”
The local outlet said the developments came months after it published a report raising questions about whether Ogles had the resources to make the personal loan.