Tennesee Representative Andy Ogles admitted Wednesday that he didn't actually loan $320,000 to his campaign - despite claiming otherwise for two years.
Questions about Ogles' financial filings were first raised when local news outlet WTVF discovered that the congressman did not list any savings or investments on his personal financial disclosures - even as he claimed to loan hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Updated financial disclosures contain 11 amendments indicating that he only loaned $20,000 to his campaign, not $320,000.
In the aftermath of the original news investigation, the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), drawing comparisons to ousted New York Representative George Santos.
"The expulsion of Representative George Santos for filing false financial disclosure statements and other ethics violations demonstrates why investigations of significant discrepancies in a candidate's financial reporting are warranted," the complaint read.
"Unexplained inconsistencies in Rep. Ogles' reported finances and allegations of him misrepresenting his background raise fundamental questions for voters about the transparency of their elected representative. The public has a right to know the sources of money that may be used to influence a federal election, as well as potential conflicts of interest that may arise due to a member's financial obligations."
In addition to the discrepancies between his personal assets and his campaign loans, Ogles also failed to report a $700,000 line of credit, according to the Campaign Legal Center.
Ogles is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump. Earlier this month he introduced a bill in the House that would send "any person convicted of unlawful activity" on a college campus to Gaza for six months. He was also one of nearly a dozen lawmakers who sat in a Manhattan court room, last week, supporting the former president during his hush money trial.
