Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) revealed Tuesday that FBI agents have seized his cellphone amid a probe into “mistakes” he claims to have made in reporting his campaign finances — including a $320,000 loan of his own money.
The first-term GOP lawmaker posted on X that the FBI “took possession” of his phone last Friday to investigate what he said were likely “mistakes” in his campaign’s “initial financial filings.”
“We have worked diligently with attorneys and reporting experts to correct the errors and ensure compliance going forward,” Ogles said, adding that he would “fully cooperate” with the bureau “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.
The Tennessee Republican is at least the third House member in the 118th Congress whose campaign finances have apparently warranted a closer look by federal authorities.
Ogles reported a $320,000 loan to his own campaign in April 2022, according to federal campaign finance filings, but amended that the following year to show a mere $20,000 loan.
House financial disclosure forms reveal he held as much as $1.1 million in assets in 2022 — but potentially $1 million in liabilities for a home mortgage in 2022 and line of credit stretching back to January 2020.
“I’m not a wealthy man who can self-fund the millions of dollars needed to run a congressional campaign,” Ogles told The Tennessean in May. “I am a grassroots representative, and I pledged everything I own to run for the honor of representing Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District.”
“While we ultimately needed to transfer $20,000, unfortunately, the full amount of my pledge was mistakenly included on my campaign’s FEC reports,” he claimed.
Neither Ogles’ attorney, G. Kline Preston IV, nor the FBI immediately responded to a request for comment.
NewsChannel 5 in Nashville first reported on Tuesday that the FBI executed a search warrant on the congressman’s phone.
It comes after a series of similar scandals in the House.
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) faced a federal investigation just one month after his election to the House in November 2022 — and was later indicted and expelled from office.
The now-former representative from New York’s 3rd Congressional District was federally indicted on 23 counts for allegedly having laundered campaign money and defrauded donors.
Santos has pleaded not guilty and is slated for trial next month.
“Squad” Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) also acknowledged that federal prosecutors were investigating her use of campaign funds after reports surfaced about payments flowing to a security guard whom she later married.
On Tuesday, Bush was defeated in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District Democratic primary race by St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell.
A member of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, Ogles had just defeated Nashville Metro council member Courtney Johnston in Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District the day before the FBI came knocking at his door.
The Campaign Legal Center first filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics in January over the congressman’s financial records, comparing his campaign ledger with that of Santos.
