Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) said the FBI seized his cell phone last week as part of an investigation into campaign finance issues.
“It has been widely reported for months that my campaign made errors in its initial financial reporting. We have worked diligently, working with attorneys and reporting experts, to correct those errors and ensure compliance going forward,” Ogles said. X said in his post on tuesday.
“The FBI seized my cell phone last Friday, and my understanding is that they are investigating the well-known facts surrounding these filings, and of course I will cooperate fully with them, as will the Federal Election Commission,” Ogles said. “I am confident that all involved will conclude that the reporting discrepancies were the result of honest mistakes and nothing more.”
Tennessee local media NewsChannel 5 Nashville Reported the newsThe FBI conducted a search for Ogles early Tuesday morning.
The FBI seized Mr. Ogles’ phone the day after he defeated a well-funded primary challenger. The Justice Department generally tends to avoid launching investigations close to an election, a process often referred to as the “60-day rule,” but which is not documented.
Ogles, a first-term member of the House Freedom Caucus who did not immediately endorse former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in January 2023, won his primary with 56.5% of the vote, according to Decision Desk HQ.
A lawyer for Mr. Ogels did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment, nor did the FBI.
Mark Wildasin, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, declined to comment “in accordance with agency policy.”
Federal authorities have not disclosed the reason for the search, but it appears to be the latest development as Ogles comes under fire over campaign finance issues and his own record.
The scrutiny centers on Ogles’ reported loan of $320,000 to start his 2022 campaign. News Channel 5 raised doubtsOgles also reported having few personal assets, so it is unclear how he funded the loan.
The Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit watchdog group, Filed a complaintThe chamber filed a report with the Office of Congressional Ethics over the matter in January, saying Ogles failed to disclose “assets purportedly used” to make loans and failed to report a $700,000 line of credit he opened in 2022.
The complaint compares Ogles to former Rep. George Santos of New York, who is known for fabricating large parts of his career, was indicted on fraud charges in his campaign finance scandal and was expelled from Congress last year. News Channel 5 reported that Ogles ExaggeratedThe ethics complaint addresses his qualifications, claiming he is an “economist” who has previously worked in “law enforcement” and has worked in “international sex crimes” and “human trafficking,” but points out he has no significant background or academic history in any of those fields.
Ogles then made a series of amendments to his disclosure to the Federal Election Commission.
Mr. Ogles statement Trump said in May he had promised to loan his campaign up to $320,000 “if necessary” – “everything I own” – but that he only had to send $20,000.
“Unfortunately, the full amount of my contribution was mistakenly reported on my campaign’s FEC report,” Ogles said in a statement, adding that he would file an amendment to the FEC report “to reflect the original status of my contribution.”
