U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee's 5th Congressional District has decided to launch an attack on Belmont University here in Nashville. In typical Oglean fashion, he hid in an old building used as a Civil War fort and ... no, no. That is one of his go-to moves when complaining about Nashville. But last week's events required his other favorite go-to move: generating more busywork for people. (I’m not even kidding. Think about how much time congressional aides are spending on paperwork about our mayor.)
This time, he wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, demanding she investigate Belmont to see if the Nashville university is secretly practicing DEI. As Nolan Russell over at the Belmont Vision writes:
Belmont University drew criticism Wednesday after a discreetly recorded video of an employee was posted online, prompting a federal investigation request from Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles.
The employee in the video, Jozef Lukey, is seen discussing the purpose of Belmont’s Office of Hope, Unity and Belonging as well as the presence of undocumented immigrants at Belmont. The video gained traction after being reposted by political commentator Charlie Kirk, who views The HUB to contradict President Trump’s February 2025 executive orders banning DEI programs, he wrote on X.
The HUB was established in 2022 as a part of Belmont’s 2030 plan to be the leading Christ-centered university in the country.
Subsequently, Ogles formally requested the Department of Education investigate Belmont University in a letter to the Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
“Belmont’s actions demonstrate contempt for both federal law and for the taxpayers who finance higher education,” Ogles said in the letter, which was posted on X.
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Then, on Friday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem got in on the act at a Nashville press conference. As the Scene's own Hamilton Matthew Masters reports, Noem claims Belmont is obstructing federal immigration law. (This is just a side observation, but if you’d like a good laugh, check out Tennessee Lookout's story on Noem's press conference — the three people behind Noem in John Partipilo’s photo are all clearly thinking “Dear God,” but with three different inflections.) Belmont denies this.
Oh, Andy Ogles. You’d think a man who allegedly ripped off the grieving families of dead children would be afraid to attack the institution based around the home of a woman who grieved the deaths of six young children. I would pay good money to see the ghost of Adelicia Acklen fight Kristi Noem and Andy Ogles. Oh my God, could you imagine the conundrum for the Sons of Confederate Veterans? Who would they root for? Adelicia, right? They’re totally on Adelicia’s side. Hell, we’re all on Adelicia’s side in that fight. What a redemption story! One of Nashville’s most divisive figures unites Nashville behind her in her 208th year in order to destroy Andy Ogles. If the ghost of Adelicia Acklen stuffs Andy Ogles into a barrel full of whiskey and ships him up to Gallatin like she did to her first husband, remember that I predicted the possibility.
Speaking of redemption stories, may I remind you of Lee Beaman? Back in 2018, Lee Beaman had what you might call a contentious divorce from his fourth wife. She accused him of making her watch videos of him having sex with sex workers so that she could learn what he liked, and she accused him of making her join in having sex with sex workers and him, I guess for more hands-on teaching? This was one of the best scandals back when it happened in 2018, because Lee Beaman is a filthy-rich Republican, who was (oh man, I am so sad that, if this is the first time you’re hearing of this scandal, I won’t get to see your face when I finish this sentence) on the board of Belmont University.
He had to resign, of course, but Belmont’s out here trying to live its values. So once Beaman was sufficiently remorseful and presumably redeemed, Belmont put him back on the board, where he serves to this day. After you’re done touring the Thomas Frist Medical School (rich Republicans), you might pass through the Curb Event Center (named for Mike Curb, a rich Republican), have lunch a Chik-fil-A, and then end your day at the Beaman Student Life Center. Belmont is, in fact, a university where a lot of rich Republicans like to put their philanthropic efforts.
Seems weird that Ogles would attack the pet project of so many rich Republicans.
But even weirder? Ogles and Beaman are buddies! Beaman was Ogles’ 2022 campaign treasurer, and Beaman was the sole donor to the Volunteers for Freedom PAC, which bought campaign ads for Ogles. In March of this year, ProPublica reported that Lee Beaman owns the house in D.C. that weirdo pastor Steve Berger and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson live in, a house that Andy Ogles had keys to.
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As we know, Andy Ogles has a history of just saying shit, regardless of whether it’s wise to say it. So did Ogles hear Charlie Kirk complaining about Belmont and decide to just sit down and write Linda McMahon? To give her something to do without any consideration for how it might affect Lee Beaman? I can see that.
Or does Lee Beaman approve of Andy Ogles attacking the institution that helped him launder his reputation and reenter polite society? Is Lee Beaman sitting on Belmont’s board while supporting Andy Ogles while Ogles tries to undermine Belmont? Is Beaman making moves to hurt Belmont — the institution that, let me remind you, gave him a second chance when he needed it? This also seems possible. I mean, the man has had at least four wives. Loyalty isn’t his strong suit. But stabbing Belmont in the back while serving on its board? I don’t know, man. That seems too far even for Beaman. But then, here’s Noem shooting off her mouth — and it seems like if someone as powerful as Beaman wanted to put a stop to it, he would have.
So I don’t know. Dick moves are being made, but who’s making them and why isn’t clear yet. At the heart of it is Republican Andy Ogles, with one of the most baffling political strategies I’ve ever witnessed — claiming you’re standing up to the terrible Democrats while your actions make life hard on Nashville’s rich Republicans. I feel like there’s no way this can work out for Ogles, but nothing else he’s done has ever caught up with him. Why should this?
But if I’m a Nashville Republican donor with ties to Belmont (or in a similar vein, any of the downtown bars), I’m sure asking myself today if I’m going to continue to donate money to people who are making it harder for me to do my business in the ways I want to. What’s all that donated money getting you, if it’s not getting your fellow Republicans off your backs?
