- In 2014, Andy Ogles raised nearly $25,000 via GoFundMe for a project called "Lincoln's Place," promising a children's burial garden with statues and benches (NewsChannel 5).
- As of 2023, there is no evidence that the burial garden was ever established, and donors do not know where the money went (NewsChannel 5).
- Ogles attributed delays to regulatory issues in 2015 and claimed at the time that none of the funds had been spent (NewsChannel 5).
- Funeral directors and cemetery staff confirm that although Ogles discussed the project, he never followed through or purchased burial plots (NewsChannel 5).
- Ogles refused to provide documentation or answer questions about the use of the funds, though at least one donor received a refund after direct inquiry (NewsChannel 5).
- Separately, in 2021 Ogles emphasized the importance of community and the close-knit atmosphere in Maury County, Tennessee (Tennessean).
2014: Ogles Raised Nearly $25,000 Via GoFundMe For A Children's Burial Garden According to NewsChannel 5, Ogles "used a photo of his stillborn baby [for a GoFundMe for something he called 'Lincoln's Place.'] [...] donating almost $25,000. GoFundMe confirms Ogles got the money." [NewsChannel 5, 3/15/23]
Ogles Promised A Burial Garden With Statues And Benches According to NewsChannel 5, Ogles' GoFundMe campaign "promised a 'burial garden' that would 'create a place for Lincoln's new play friends,' 'a life-size statue of Jesus watching over the children,' along with 'benches for families to sit while surrounded by flowers.'" [NewsChannel 5, 3/15/23]
2023: No Evidence Ogles Established The Promised Burial Garden According to NewsChannel 5, "there is no burial garden, no one knows where their donations went, and Ogles refuses to say what he did with the money." [NewsChannel 5, 3/15/23]
2015: Ogles Blamed Regulations For Delay, Claimed None Of The Money Had Been Spent According to NewsChannel 5, Ogles was quoted in 2015 as saying, "burials are heavily regulated," and "he insisted none of the money had been spent." [NewsChannel 5, 3/15/23]
Funeral Director Stated Ogles Never Followed Through On Promises According to NewsChannel 5, funeral director Pam Stephens said, "Back at that time, we could have helped them do something, but they never came back to us." [NewsChannel 5, 3/15/23]
Cemetery Manager Confirmed Meeting Ogles But Saw No Action Taken According to NewsChannel 5, "the manager at the cemetery where Lincoln is buried tells NewsChannel 5 Investigates that he met with Ogles a couple of times, offering to let him start small with the purchase of several plots, leaving room for later expansion. Neither knows what happened to the nearly $25,000." [NewsChannel 5, 3/15/23]
Ogles Refused To Provide Documentation Or Answer Questions About Use Of Funds According to NewsChannel 5, "Ogles office never provided that documentation. At that recent political event, we approached Ogles to ask if we could talk with him, but he ignored our request." [NewsChannel 5, 3/15/23]
At Least One Donor Received A Refund After Asking Ogles Directly According to NewsChannel 5, "one donor, who said he asked Ogles directly what he did with the money. When he couldn't get a straight answer, he insisted on getting his money back and he got it. Other donors, however, say they were never given that option." [NewsChannel 5, 3/15/23]
2021: Andy Ogles Emphasized The Importance Of Community Amid Maury County Growth According to Tennessean, "However, according to Ogles, people are Maury County's biggest asset. 'Though we are growing fast and serve as one of Tennessee's economic engines, what truly makes our county special is the people, and that close knit, small town vibe is palpable as you walk our downtown communities,' he said." [Tennessean, 10/13/21]