Andy Ogles
Role at the time: U.S. representative for Tennessee's 5th District, in a statement on the Justice Department's decision
Statement summary
In a statement after the Justice Department agreed to return his seized phone, Ogles says the investigation should never have happened and that the department under President Biden had no right to search a sitting congressman's legislative communications.
“From the day the FBI showed up, I said this investigation should never have happened and that the Biden DOJ had no right to rummage through a sitting congressman's legislative communications”
The Associated Press reports that the Justice Department agreed to return Ogles's seized phone and destroy information obtained from it and his email account, and quotes Ogles's statement on the decision. This copy of the AP story ran on NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
The case concerns the Justice Department's decision to end its campaign finance investigation of Ogles. Ogles says the investigation should never have happened and that the department has effectively acknowledged he was right, which defends the decision to end it.