Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is facing criticism following an investigation by a media outlet in his home state that claims he ― much like Rep. George Santos (RN.Y.) ― embellished parts of his resume.
The Nashville-based WTVF-TV investigation found that Ogles, who was sworn in last month, has a background “filled with exaggerations,” such as his assertion on his Congressional website that he is an economist and “studied politics and economics.”
There is little evidence to support such a claim, according to the broadcaster, and his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University, declined to confirm what his degree was from there.
A throwback to Ogles’ website more than two decades ago shows he studied foreign policy and the Constitution at Middle Tennessee State University and Western Kentucky University.
Western Kentucky told WTVF that Ogles majored in English and Allied Language Arts in the 1990s.
Ogles’ resume from two years after graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 2007 mentioned that he earned a degree in international relations with minors in psychology and English, the broadcaster reported.
Ogles’ inconsistencies between his website bios and resumes aren’t the only questionable parts of his past.
Ogles also claimed he held an “executive director” position for author and economist Arthur Laffer’s supply-side economics center, however, Laffer told Insider that Ogles worked primarily in fundraising.
“I didn’t know he had that title. Titles aren’t really important for the desktop. We all clean the dishes,” said Laffer, who added that an economist is someone who works in economics and doctorates are not required to be called an economist.
The Republican also said he was a former law enforcement officer. In a debate, he said he had worked in the fight against international sex crimes, in particular child trafficking.
Ogles, however, was a volunteer reserve sheriff’s deputy with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and lost his position after two years “for failing to meet minimum standards, making no progress in on-the-job training. and failing to attend required meetings,” according to WTVF.
The sheriff’s office spokesperson told the station that Ogles’ training or personal records show no involvement in international sex trafficking.
The outlet reported that people connected to the anti-human trafficking nonprofit Abolition International, where he worked in 2011, dispute the way he referred to his role.
Ogles served as chief operating officer, a part-time role at the nonprofit, and told Washington Watch he “didn’t really intend to get involved. so strongly in the fight against human trafficking”.
An Ogles press secretary did not respond to a WTVF request for comment.
Andrew Harnik/Associated Press
Ogles spokesperson responded to Insider following a later report on the Republican and called the site’s story “another attempt by the liberal media to make something out of nothing”.
“It’s just condensing a resume for the sake of brevity on the campaign trail, and partisan hacks trying to make it a headline for the clicks,” the spokesperson said in an email.
HuffPost has reached out to Ogles’ office via email for additional comment.