Andy Ogles, a freshman Republican from Tennessee, is hoping to retain his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives amid an FBI investigation into alleged discrepancies in his 2022 campaign finances.
As the first-term congressman seeks reelection, he will face a strong challenge from Democrat Maryam Abolfazli, a progressive advocate from Nashville, in a district that has become increasingly competitive following recent redistricting.
Ogles, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, confirmed in August that federal agents had seized his cellphone as part of an ongoing investigation into his campaign’s financial filings.
The inquiry stems from reported inconsistencies in Ogles’ 2022 records, including a $320,000 loan he initially reported making to his campaign.
Newsweek has contacted Ogles’ office for comment via email.
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U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles speaks to supporters after being declared the winner in his Republican primary race, Aug. 1, 2024, in Franklin, Tennessee. He is hoping to fend off Democratic opponent Maryam Abolfazli in Tennessee… U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles speaks to supporters after being declared the winner in his Republican primary race, Aug. 1, 2024, in Franklin, Tennessee. He is hoping to fend off Democratic opponent Maryam Abolfazli in Tennessee in a race complicated by an FBI investigation into his finances.
Mark Humphrey/AP, file
What is Andy Ogles Accused Of?
Ogles later amended his filings, lowering the figure to $20,000, and explained that the larger amount had been a pledge, not an actual loan, which he claimed was mistakenly included in the reports.
In addition to the phone seizure, FBI agents obtained a warrant to access Ogles’ personal email account.
However, according to court documents, investigators have yet to review the contents of the account.
Ogles has publicly stated that he is fully cooperating with the investigation and believes the discrepancies were the result of honest errors.
Why is Nashville Left-Leaning?
The scrutiny follows an ethics complaint filed in January 2023 by the Campaign Legal Center, which raised concerns about potential violations related to his personal and campaign finances.
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Democratic congressional candidate Maryam Abolfazli greets voters on primary election day, Aug. 1, 2024, at the Christ Church Nashville polling place in Nashville, Tennessee. Abolfazli is from Nashville and started Rise and Shine TN, a… Democratic congressional candidate Maryam Abolfazli greets voters on primary election day, Aug. 1, 2024, at the Christ Church Nashville polling place in Nashville, Tennessee. Abolfazli is from Nashville and started Rise and Shine TN, a nonprofit organization that has advocated for gun control changes.
Jonathan Matisse/AP, file
The nonprofit, which advocates for transparency in political funding, compared Ogles’ situation to that of embattled New York Rep. George Santos, who has faced numerous investigations into his own campaign finances.
Ogles represents Tennessee’s 5th District, a Republican-leaning area that includes a portion of the liberal-leaning city of Nashville and stretches through five more conservative counties.
Although the district remains solidly Republican, the influence of Nashville’s progressive voters, combined with shifting national political dynamics, has created a potentially more competitive race than in the past.
In the 2022 election, Ogles won the seat by more than 13 percentage points, a result bolstered by the Republican-led redrawing of the state’s congressional districts after the 2020 census.
Lawmakers split Nashville into three separate districts, forcing longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper into retirement and shifting the state’s congressional delegation to an overwhelming GOP majority.
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Ogles’ district now includes part of the newly drawn 5th District, which spans from the Democratic stronghold of Nashville through more conservative rural counties. The redistricting was seen as a strategic move by Republicans to strengthen their hold on the state’s congressional seats.
Ogles faces a tough challenge from Maryam Abolfazli, a Nashville-based nonprofit leader and activist.
Who is Maryam Abolfazli?
Abolfazli, the founder of Rise and Shine TN, has been a vocal advocate for stronger gun control in the wake of the tragic shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville in March 2023, which left six people dead, including three children.
Since entering Congress, Ogles has become known for his vocal opposition to the Biden administration and his alignment with the most conservative factions of the Republican Party.
Beyond his financial controversies, Ogles has faced criticism for past statements about his educational background.
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After a news outlet questioned his claim of holding an international relations degree, Ogles admitted to overstating his credentials, saying he was “mistaken” about his academic history.
Ogles, a former mayor of Maury County and state director for the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, remains a staunch defender of conservative policies.
He has filed multiple articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, citing their administration’s policies on border security, the economy, and other issues.
Following Biden’s announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2024, Ogles introduced new articles of impeachment targeting Harris.
As the race in Tennessee’s 5th District heats up, Ogles’ ability to navigate the FBI investigation, manage his financial controversies, and hold onto his conservative base will be key to his chances of securing a second term.
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This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press
Reader question: My spouse has little interest in our financial position. As we age, this concerns me. I try to share some basic information (income, spending, account balances, debt, and so on) each month but rarely get a response. I think graphs or charts might be of more interest to her than a bunch of numbers. What recommendations would you have for illustrating our financial position so that I am not the only person aware of how we are situated? Thanks!
Answer: Your situation is pretty common. Most couples I know develop a division of labor over time, where one person is in charge of financial matters and the other person is less involved. That’s definitely the case for my husband and me. He’s in charge of paying all the monthly bills and preparing our tax returns, but the financial planning and investment decisions are up to me. This type of arrangement might work well for a long time, but can become less sustainable with age, particularly if the “finance person” in the relationship dies or develops a major health issue.
Online tools and mind maps
Illustrating your financial situation with charts and graphs is a great idea that might help your spouse become a little more involved. Morningstar’s Portfolio X-Ray tool includes a variety of images that help illustrate your financial situation. Websites for most major brokerage firms also include some visual tools. Schwab, for example, offers a Portfolio Checkup and a bar graph illustrating your account’s monthly income from dividends and interest income. Vanguard has a Portfolio Watch tool and a variety of performance illustrations, tools, and calculators.
A mind map, which we used with clients when I worked for a financial advisory firm, can be another way to picture your entire financial situation on one page. There are various softwaretemplates for drawing a mind map, or you can simply sketch it out with a large sheet of paper and a pencil. Start with your names at the center of the page. Then draw spokes connecting to various categories, such as names of other family members; investment accounts; real estate and other assets, insurance policies, estate plans, key goals and values, and contact information for accountants, estate planners, and other professionals. It can be helpful to go through the mind map together and make any updates needed at least once a year.
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Other ways to communicate about money
A few other ideas—though not related to charts and graphs—might also be useful.
I like the idea of putting together a net worth statement that itemizes cash, taxable accounts, real estate, retirement accounts, and debt for each member of the couple as well as items owned jointly. It’s a good idea to update this document at least once a year and discuss it as a couple. If you set up the document as a spreadsheet, you can include columns with additional information such as account numbers, what each account is used for, which accounts are subject to required minimum distributions, or tax issues like potential capital gains.
Many couples also put together a binder (sometimes humorously called a “Doomsday Book”) that contains information about where to find important paperwork, insurance policies, how bills are paid, what each account is for, steps the surviving spouse will need to take, final wishes, and any other critical information.
A well-qualified financial adviser can bridge the information gap
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Finally, you could consider working with a good financial adviser, who can help involve your spouse in financial matters while you’re still living and step in to fully manage investments and personal finance decisions if you pass away before your spouse. Make sure the adviser holds the Certified Financial Planner designation and charges fees that are reasonable. Although a 1% fee is still the industry standard for accounts of $1 million or less, it’s possible to find advisers who charge significantly less, including a few who price their services based on hours worked instead of a percentage of assets under management.
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This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.
Amy C. Arnott, CFA, is a portfolio strategist for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast.
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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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If you have ever taken out a mortgage, you’ll know there are a lot of requirements to meet. You may need to put down a certain amount and have a debt-to-income ratio below a certain threshold. You may also run into limits on how much you can borrow or what sources of income the lender will count.
These rules do not apply to all mortgages — just to conforming mortgages, which is what the majority of borrowers take out. However, mortgage lenders are increasingly offering what are known as nonconforming loans, or mortgages that do not “comply with every one of the strict standards put in place after the housing crisis,” said The Wall Street Journal. While “still a small portion,” the “share of mortgages using alternative lending practices” has “doubled in size over the past three years.”
What are nonconforming loans?
A nonconforming mortgage is a “type of home loan that doesn’t meet some or all of the guidelines that make them eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” said Bankrate. These are the government-sponsored entities that “support much of the secondary mortgage market in the U.S.,” meaning they often purchase resold mortgages.
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have “federal rules that limit the purchase of loans deemed relatively risk-free,” said Investopedia. Loans that meet these guidelines are conforming loans; loans that do not are nonconforming. To be a conforming loan, a mortgage must fall under a certain loan amount, and the borrower must meet specific criteria when it comes to their credit score, debt-to-income ratio and loan-to-value ratio.
Effectively, any home loan that does not align with these stipulations is considered nonconforming. Examples include jumbo loans, government-backed loans, bridge loans and interest-only loans.
Why do people get them?
There are a wide range of reasons people may opt for a nonconforming mortgage. For one, “you may have no choice but to choose a nonconforming jumbo loan if you want to buy an expensive property,” said Rocket Mortgage. These loans can also provide more flexibility when it comes to the type of property you purchase, your credit score and your down payment amount.
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Nonconforming loans additionally “offer an opportunity for home buyers who might not otherwise qualify for traditional loans because they are self-employed or hold their wealth in assets such as real estate,” said the Journal.
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What are the drawbacks?
For starters, there are fewer lenders offering them “since they pose a higher risk to the bank or mortgage lender,” said Yahoo Finance. That said, availability can vary depending on the specific type, as “some nonconforming loans (like FHA mortgages) are common, while others (like USDA loans) can be harder to find.”
Nonconforming loans also “generally carry a higher interest rate for the borrower,” said the Journal, given the increased risk to the lender. Still, this can vary by loan type. For instance, “FHA, VA and USDA loans usually have lower interest rates,” while “less common nonconforming loans, such as bridge loans, often have higher interest rates,” said Yahoo Finance. There is also the possibility that a nonconforming loan “could have an unusual repayment schedule or other features that make it harder to repay,” said Bankrate.
