U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles has confirmed that his cellphone was confiscated by the FBI last week after he won the Republican nomination for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District once again.
NewsChannel 5 was the first to report that the FBI issued a search warrant for Ogles, who has received attention for changes in his campaign financial filings.
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G. Kline Preston, the lawyer representing Ogles, initially told the media organization he would not confirm or deny the search warrant. Later, the lawyer told the Washington Post the warrant was issued by a court order and was limited in asking only for Ogles' cellphone.
In a statement on the social media platform X, Ogles said: "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. It is my understanding that they are investigating the same well-known facts surrounding these filings."
The FBI declined to comment to NewsChannel 5 and instead referred the media outlet to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, which also gave no comment.
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Ogles amended nearly a dozen past campaign finance reports in May to show that a personal loan of $320,000 to his campaign in 2022 never happened. The amended filings instead reported Ogles loaned his campaign $20,000. He also made significant changes to his contributions and disbursements for the first quarter of 2024. His original report showed he raised nearly $86,000, but the amended filing reported no money was raised in the first quarter.
Campaign finance watchdog group the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics and included information from Ogles' personal financial disclosures to back up its claims that a personal loan of several thousand was not possible. The complaint stated Ogles' financial reports contained discrepancies worth more than $1 million.
Ogles has said he will "fully cooperate" with the FBI and has been doing the same with the Federal Election Commission.
"I am confident all involved will conclude that the reporting discrepancies were based on honest mistakes, and nothing more," Ogles said.
Maryam Abolfazli, Ogles' Democratic opponent in the forthcoming general election for the 5th Congressional District, issued the following statement on Tuesday: "The FBI’s execution of a search warrant and confiscation of Andy Ogles’ cell phone is deeply upsetting, especially given an ongoing pattern of misappropriated funds and falsehoods regarding his education and work history. Congressman Ogles continues to bring scandal and embarrassment to the 5th (District), and he needs to go."
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
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
