¶ Overview
- In 2014, Ogles raised nearly $25,000 on GoFundMe for a burial garden for stillborn children, but he never made it. Ogles blamed government bureaucracy for his inability to successfully put the GoFundMe money toward a burial, despite no evidence proving government regulation was a barrier.
- In 2023, Ogles shared a statement muddying the waters even more on where the GoFundMe money went. He claimed the funds were supposed to help “other families struggling with grief,” and went to “direct financial support for families covering the cost of funeral expenses and other needs for their children as opportunities to help arose.”
- Donors to his GoFundMe campaign have demanded to know what he did with the money and demanded refunds.
¶ Ogles Raised Money For A Stillborn Burial Garden Then Never Built It
¶ ogles raised money for a child burial garden inspired by his stillborn son, but NEVER MADE it
HEADLINE: ‘Rep. Andy Ogles Faces Questions About What He Did With $25K Raised For Child's Burial Garden’ [People, 3/16/23]
In 2014, Ogles Created A GoFundMe To Allegedly Pay For A Burial Garden Following The Stillborn Death Of His Child. According to WTVF, ‘It's a story that stems from a personal tragedy — the stillborn death of a child whose photo Ogles sometimes posts on his political social media — and a GoFundMe that allowed Ogles to rake in tens of thousands of dollars for what was supposed to be a children's burial garden. Yet, what makes it a story is the fact that there is no burial garden, no one knows where their donations went, and Ogles refuses to say what he did with the money.’ [WTVF, 3/15/23]
Ogles Raised $25,000 For The Burial Garden. According to News Channel 5, "But the story that NewsChannel 5 Investigates heard repeatedly was how two days after the loss of the child in 2014, Ogles himself used a photo of his stillborn baby for a GoFundMe for something he called ‘Lincoln's Place.’ It implored: ‘Help us help other families. No family should have to bury their child; no child should be alone.’ It 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.’ And people responded to Ogles' emotional plea, donating almost $25,000. GoFundMe confirms Ogles got the money." [News Channel 5, 3/15/23]
¶ ogles provided various shifting excuses without evidence for why he never built the garden
Ogles Could Have Purchased Burial Plots For $1,200 Each, Disputing His Claim That $25,000 Was Not Enough Money To Fulfill His Dream. According to News Channel 5, "Instead of providing NewsChannel 5 with evidence of what he did with the money in advance of a story being published, Ogles waited until after the story broke, then he went on the attack with a statement that, in some cases, came up with brand new explanations. Further investigation has now discovered that, contrary to Ogles' claims that the nearly $25,000 given by donors were not enough to fulfill his dream, he could have purchased burial plots for needy families for $1,200 each, and two cemeteries say they were willing to work with him." [News Channel 5, 3/15/23]
2023: Ogles Blamed Government Bureaucracy For His Inability To Successfully Put The GoFundMe Money Toward A Burial, Despite Evidence Proving Government Regulation Was Not A Barrier. According to WTVF, ‘In fact, a Tennessean story a year after the GoFundMe raised the question of what happened with the money, quoting Ogles as blaming government bureaucracy. ‘What we found over the past year as we have been going through this process is that burials are heavily regulated,’ he claimed. He insisted none of the money had been spent. In fact, there is no evidence that any government regulation would have prevented the purchase of several cemetery plots for burying children. Funeral director Pam Stephens of Williamson Memorial Funeral Home was also quoted saying she still planned to meet with the family to ‘help organize a unified effort to aid parents dealing with the financial and emotional trauma of burying children.’ Eight years later, Stephens now tells NewsChannel 5 Investigates that Ogles never followed through.’ [WTVF, 3/15/23]
After Claiming The Original Purpose Of The GoFundMe Was To Help Support ‘Other Families Struggling With Grief,’ Ogles Claimed He Used The GoFundMe Money To Pay For ‘Direct Financial Support For Families Covering The Cost Of Funeral Expenses And Other Needs For Their Children As Opportunities To Help Arose.’ According to a post from investigative reporter Phil Williams’ Twitter, ‘UPDATE: We gave @AndyOgles a chance to tell us in advance what he did with the money. He refused. Now, he puts out a statement to @TheTNStar , portraying himself as a victim and saying people should believe him that he used the money to help other families. He offers no proof.’
[Twitter, @PhilNvestigates, 3/15/23]
- Ogles Refused To Provide Evidence Showing That His Claims About Providing Direct Financial Support To Families Were True. According to News Channel 5, "Still, the embattled congressman, who has made up stories about his resume, now asks people to trust him and his new story that ‘the purpose evolved from a memorial to direct financial support for families covering the cost of funeral expenses and other needs for their children as opportunities to help arose.’ Ogles has not provided any evidence that what he is saying is true. Following the release of that statement, NewsChannel 5 texted Ogles reminding him that we welcomed the chance to see his receipts, to let him show that the money people gave him out of sympathy really did go for a good cause. We never heard back." [News Channel 5, 3/16/23]
¶ donors to ogle’s gofundme demanded to know what he did with the money and for refunds
A Donor To Ogles’ GoFundMe Wanted To Know What He Did With Their Money. “According to News Channel 5, "NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked one of the donors, ‘What would be your message to Andy Ogles?’ Her message: ‘Tell us what you did! Tell us where the money went!’ It was a message apparently lost on the congressman, who drove away without answering any of our questions." [News Channel 5, 3/15/23]
One Of Ogles’ Donors Said He Demanded A Refund And Received One, But Other Donors Were Not Given That Option. According to News Channel 5, "NewsChannel 5 Investigates did speak with 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." [News Channel 5, 3/15/23]