Ogles used a photo of his stillborn child for GoFundMe, promising a place for burial of babies with benches for families, life-size statue of Jesus. It never happened, and he won’t say where money went.
LE††UCE PREY
Eight years ago, Andy Ogles raised more than $23,000 on GoFundMe to create a burial garden for stillborn babies, complete with a Jesus statue to watch over them. But, the garden was never built and Ogles — now a freshman GOP congressman — hasn’t offered proof of where the money went, according to multiple reports.
The campaign’s description urged, “Help us help other families. No family should have to bury their child; no child should be alone.” The fundraiser said the burial garden would feature benches, flowers, and a “life-size statue of Jesus watching over the children.”
In a statement obtained by the Tennessee Star on Wednesday, Ogles claims, without proof, that the nearly $25,000 his campaign raked in “wasn’t enough for our original goal of a more significant memorial,” so he says that instead, “the purpose evolved from a memorial to direct financial support for families covering the cost of funeral expenses and other needs for their children.”
The manager of the cemetery where Ogles’ son was buried told NewsChannel 5 that he met with Ogles several times and offered to let him create a smaller memorial than originally planned, with the option to expand it later. But Ogles never followed up, the manager told NewsChannel 5.
Ogles, Who Insider Previously Reported Has a History of Embellishing His Resume
During far-right Republican Andy Ogles’ successful campaign for Congress last fall, he advertised himself as a successful entrepreneur and real estate investor, a tax policy expert, and the former leader of an international nonprofit rescuing sex trafficking victims.
But the freshman member from Tennessee embellished many aspects of his resume, according to interviews, business and property records, tax filings, and local newspaper archives. Ogles’ inflations invite comparisons to his Republican congressional colleague, Rep. George Santos of New York, who has seen nearly every aspect of his past called into question.
It goes on and on …
