Rep. Andy Ogles Gets Phone Back as DOJ Investigation Ends
Federal investigators return Rep. Andy Ogles’ phone and destroy seized materials, ending two-year probe into $300,000 campaign finance discrepancy.
COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE — U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles announced that federal investigators have returned his cellphone and destroyed materials seized during a campaign finance investigation, marking the end of a two-year federal probe into the Republican congressman’s 2022 election finances.
The Department of Justice seized Ogles’ phone shortly after his 2024 primary victory as part of an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations from his initial congressional campaign. Ogles represents Tennessee’s 5th District and lives in Columbia.
“Any materials taken from it had been destroyed,” Ogles stated in a news release announcing the phone’s return, indicating federal prosecutors have concluded their investigation without filing charges.
Campaign Finance Discrepancy Sparked Investigation
The federal investigation focused on a significant discrepancy in Ogles’ campaign finance reports from his 2022 Republican primary race. The congressman initially filed documents stating he had loaned his campaign $320,000 during the crowded primary contest.
Nearly two years later, Ogles amended those reports to show he had actually loaned his campaign only $20,000 — a difference of $300,000. He explained the additional funds were held in a joint account shared with his wife, though he and his campaign manager could not “definitively” confirm the source of even the $20,000 loan to House ethics investigators.
House Ethics Panel Recommended Further Investigation
The case drew scrutiny from Congress itself. In January 2025, a U.S. House Congressional Ethics panel recommended further investigation of Ogles after a preliminary report concluded he likely violated federal campaign finance laws by inflating the personal loan amount.
“There is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Ogles omitted or misrepresented required information in his finance disclosure statements or FEC candidate committee reports,” the House ethics board’s report stated.
The ethics panel found that Ogles had “significant control” over his campaign’s finances and that the inflated loan amount may have been intended to make his bid for office appear financially stronger during the competitive primary race.
Investigation Concludes Under New Administration
The conclusion of the DOJ investigation comes after a change in presidential administrations, with the probe spanning nearly two years from the initial phone seizure through its resolution. The timing of the phone’s return and the destruction of seized materials typically indicates prosecutors have decided not to pursue criminal charges.
Ogles successfully won his 2022 primary and general election to represent Tennessee’s 5th District, which includes parts of Middle Tennessee. He was reelected in 2024 before the federal investigation became public.
The congressman has maintained throughout the investigation that any discrepancies in his campaign finance reports were unintentional errors rather than deliberate violations of federal election law.
