[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 626 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 626
Censuring Representative Andy Ogles.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 27, 2023
Ms. Crockett submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Ethics
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Censuring Representative Andy Ogles.
Whereas Representative Andy Ogles has repeatedly misrepresented his educational
and occupational experiences prior to becoming and during his service as
a Member of the United States House of Representatives;
Whereas, on July 23, 2022, Representative Andy Ogles said that elected officials
``want power and control so badly that they are willing to say and do
anything to get there'';
Whereas Members of the Republican Party have called the level of deception that
Representative Andy Ogles is willing to participate in in order to get
elected to the United States Congress ``disturbing'' as was reported on
February 27, 2023, by News Channel 5 in Nashville;
Whereas, on February 21, 2023, upon being confronted about his lies and
misrepresentations, Representative Andy Ogles said, ``at the end of the
day, I don't care'';
Whereas Representative Andy Ogles repeatedly misrepresented his law enforcement
background including his false claim that he was a police officer;
Whereas Representative Andy Ogles has repeatedly claimed that he was an
economist or misrepresented having a background in economics, including
on his official congressional website, despite not having a degree in
the field of economics, or any other related degree, including--
(1) on July 29, 2018, in connection with his seeking election for
County Mayor, Representative Andy Ogles claimed that he was an
``economist'' and tax policy expert;
(2) on June 25, 2022, Representative Andy Ogles falsely referred to
himself as an ``economist'' during a congressional debate;
(3) on January 11, 2023, Representative Andy Ogles again misrepresented
his background as an ``economist'' on C-SPAN, not once but twice in the
same broadcast;
(4) on January 13, 2023, Representative Andy Ogles once again
misrepresented his background as an ``economist'' during an interview on a
right-wing program;
(5) on February 7, 2023, Representative Andy Ogles continued to
misrepresent his background as an ``economist'' during a House Financial
Services Committee hearing; and
(6) on February 21, 2023, upon being confronted about his lies
regarding his background as an ``economist'', Representative Andy Ogles
claimed that he meant he studied political science and international
affairs from an economic perspective;
Whereas, on February 27, 2023, News Channel 5 in Nashville released a copy of
Representative Andy Ogles' college transcript which showed he took only
one class in economics and received a C;
Whereas, on July 29, 2018, in connection with his seeking election for County
Mayor, Representative Andy Ogles claimed that he graduated from the Owen
Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, when he in truth
received certificates for participating in non-degree executive classes;
Whereas, on February 16, 2023, News Channel 5 in Nashville released a copy of
Representative Ogles' resume that showed he falsely claimed to have a
degree in International Relations, a claim he repeated a number of times
in the media;
Whereas, on February 16, 2023, News Channel 5 in Nashville also released a copy
of Representative Ogles' background check questionnaire from 2009 that
he submitted to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office that again showed
he falsely claimed to have a degree in International Relations;
Whereas, because of his repeated false statements regarding his educational
background, Representative Ogles issued a correction on February 26,
2023;
Whereas, on March 10, 2023, the Washington Post reported that Representative
Andy Ogles claimed to have run a consulting firm from 2003-2010 despite
there being no corporate records for such a business in the State of
Tennessee;
Whereas, on March 10, 2023, the Washington Post reporting also showed
Representative Andy Ogles claimed he was on the Board of Directors for
the YMCA of Franklin which was subsequently debunked by the YMCA of
Middle Tennessee as well as the organization's IRS filings;
Whereas, on March 10, 2023, the Washington Post reporting further uncovered that
while Representative Andy Ogles claimed he served on the Board of
Directors for the City of Franklin, the Board of Directors for the City
of Franklin does not in fact exist;
Whereas, on March 10, 2023, the Washington Post reporting also showed that while
Representative Andy Ogles claimed to have facilitated several multi-
million dollar business deals, those claims could neither be verified by
the company involved nor by public records;
Whereas Representative Andy Ogles repeatedly exaggerated his law enforcement
experience, including in a video posted on August 1, 2022, where he
specifically said he was a ``police officer'';
Whereas Representative Andy Ogles was not a police officer but a volunteer
reserve deputy with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office starting in
July 2009 and ending in October 2011 when he was terminated for failing
to meet requirements for that position, which included 48 hours of
volunteering per quarter;
Whereas Representative Andy Ogles repeatedly claimed that he worked in human
trafficking law enforcement, including calling himself ``a former member
of law enforcement, worked in international sex crimes, specifically
child trafficking'' as reported on February 16, 2023, by News Channel 5
in Nashville;
Whereas, on February 16, 2023, News Channel 5 in Nashville further reported that
despite Representative Andy Ogles' claims, a spokesperson from the
Williamson County Sheriff's Office said ``There is nothing in Mr. Ogles
training or personnel file that indicates he had any involvement in
`international sex trafficking' in his capacity as a reserve deputy'';
Whereas the only connection Representative Andy Ogles has to human trafficking
law enforcement was through his work with Abolition International, which
at the time he worked there primarily made grants to a handful of safe
houses as reported by Business Insider on February 21, 2023;
Whereas Representative Andy Ogles claimed his work with Abolition International
in 2011 included overseeing operations and investments in 12 countries,
on February 16, 2023, News Channel 5 in Nashville reported that he only
held a part-time position and that other employees of the organization
called his claims, ``widely exaggerated'';
Whereas Representative Andy Ogles said that he had first-hand experience working
in this space on the Southern border, on February 21, 2023, Business
Insider reported that a former Abolition International manager said his
role was minimal and the group's work had nothing to do with the US-
Mexico border; and
Whereas, in 2014, Representative Andy Ogles solicited donations to raise money
for the burials of unborn babies in a garden, and while he raised
$25,000, according to reporting from News Channel 5 in Nashville on
March 15, the ``burial garden'' was never built and related funds have
not been accounted for: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) Representative Andy Ogles be censured;
(2) Representative Andy Ogles forthwith present himself in
the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement
of censure; and
(3) Representative Andy Ogles be censured with the public
reading of this resolution by the Speaker.
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