Something's wrong with Andy Ogles' campaign finance reports

Columbia Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles has made over two dozen corrections to his campaign finance disclosures since his first run two years ago, and a review of his most recent disclosure shows his donations and spending still don’t add up.

From April 2022 to July 12, 2024, Ogles’ amended campaign finance reports show he raised around $2 million, while his expenses show he spent around $1.4 million, a Lookout analysis of his campaign finance records shows.

Ogles should have around $600,000 in cash available. His disclosure shows he has just over $300,000 in cash in his campaign account, leaving another $300,000 unaccounted for.

The discrepancy between cash on hand and reported expenses has been an issue for Ogles since he launched his candidacy in April 2022.

The Federal Election Commission sent Ogles three letters a month ago regarding this mismatch.

This discrepancy could be a reason FBI agents executed a search warrant on Ogles last week, following his victory in a Republican primary to retain his Middle Tennessee U.S. House seat.

After NewsChannel 5 reported on the search warrant, the congressman took to Twitter to say they had seized his phone.

Federal election officials threaten Ogles with campaign finance audit or enforcement – again

“It has been widely reported for months that my campaign made mistakes in our initial financial filings,” Ogles said in a post on X. “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. 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.”

The Lookout reached out to Ogles’ office and had not received a response by the time of publication.

When Ogles started his campaign, he misled the public by stating in a news release that he raised around $450,000 without loaning his campaign any money. In reality, Ogles raised around $250,000 and claimed to loan his campaign $320,000.

He then amended two years of campaign finance reports earlier this year, stating that he had only loaned $20,000 to his campaign.

Ogles said in a May news release that the additional $300,000 was in a joint account he shared with his wife. He claimed he only learned after the fact that this wasn’t allowed and said his campaign never used the cash.

Ogles’ actions drew a complaint from the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan government watchdog. On top of campaign disclosure issues, the group said Ogles also failed to disclose a $700,000 line of credit he opened following his primary win in 2022.

The organization compared Ogles to former New York Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos, who, among many charges, is alleged to have falsely claimed he loaned $500,000 to his campaign in an attempt to pay himself from donations.

Ogles’ loan also helped him during the crucial early phases of his 2022 campaign, when he faced a crowded primary field that included former Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell.

He went on to win the primary and defeat Nashville Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell in the Republican-titled seat.

Metro Council member Courtney Johnston challenged Ogles in the primary this year. She tried to attack him over these financial discrepancies and other ethical concerns. But Ogles handily defeated her and is favored to win the seat in the November general election when he faces Democrat Maryam Abolfazli.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and X.