Tag: Andy Ogles

Michael Patrick Leahy: ‘Absolutely Illegal’ Bureau of Prisons Refusing to Apply First Step Act Credits to Steve Bannon

Kaitlin Housler
Michael Patrick Leahy

Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, said the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) refusal to apply the First Step Act (FSA) good time credits accrued by Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist and host of the popular show War Room, towards an early release to home confinement, is “absolutely illegal.”

Bannon is currently serving a four-month prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Danbury, Connecticut, for a 2022 conviction on contempt of Congress charges for ignoring a subpoena from the January 6 Select Committee.

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Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) Demands Bureau of Prisons Immediately Release Steve Bannon from Danbury FCI and Comply with First Step Act

Tom Pappert
Rep. Andy Ogles

Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) demanded the release of former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon in a Thursday letter to Biden-Harris administration Bureau of Prisons (BOP) director Colette Peters that was obtained by The Tennessee Star.

Ogles accused the federal agency of “willfully facilitating the political persecution of the Democrat Party’s political opponents,” through its refusal to apply the First Step Act (FSA) good time credits accrued by Bannon, and demanded Peters take immediate actions to secure the former Trump adviser’s early release from prison.

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Sen. Bill Hagerty, Rep. Andy Biggs Lead 60 Congressmen in DOJ Letter Demanding Answers on Non-Citizen Voting

Tom Pappert
Hagerty and Biggs

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) led 60 members of Congress in a second letter to the Department of Justice DOJ to demand answers about non-citizen voters in the United States.

Biggs’ office explained in a press release that lawmakers previously sent a letter demanding information from the DOJ on July 12, and had yet to receive a response by their October 2 letter.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Urges President Biden to Approve Updated Disaster Declaration Submitted by Governor Bill Lee

Kaitlin Housler
Joe Biden TN

All 11 members of the Tennessee congressional delegation sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Tuesday requesting the “swift approval” of Governor Bill Lee’s request for an updated major disaster declaration in the wake of flash flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

Lee initially requested federal assistance for Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties following the flash flooding that devastated buildings and roads in East Tennessee on September 26 and September 27, which the president approved on Saturday.

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Rep. Andy Ogles Won 13-Point Primary Victory Despite Opponent’s Ties to Never Trump Political Machine, Including Consultant Blake Harris

Tom Pappert
Blake Harris and Courtney Johnston

The Never Trump political effort to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Tennessee Republican primary earlier this month failed. The incumbent ultimately trounced Metro Council Member Courtney Johnston with a 13-point victory.

Ogles sailed to victory despite Johnston boasting better campaign funding, the support of Never Trump political consultant and former Governor Bill Lee administration member Blake Harris, the benefit of anti-Trump political organization Conservatives with Character, and her campaign being treasured by seasoned fundraiser Kim Kaegi.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Honor the ‘Scarboro 85’ on 69th Anniversary of Desegregation at Oak Ridge Public Schools

Kaitlin Housler
Classroom Students

The entire Tennessee congressional delegation sponsored a resolution this week celebrating the Scarboro 85 students from the Scarboro neighborhood in Oak Ridge. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, these students made history by entering all-white classrooms.

On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separating children in public schools based on race was unconstitutional.

In a second opinion issued on May 31, 1955, the Supreme Court decreed that schools should be desegregated “with all deliberate speed.”

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Legal Filing Shows Rep. Andy Ogles Not ‘Target’ of FBI as MAGA Republican Demands Cell Phone Back, Cites Speech and Debate Clause of Constitution

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles

Legal filings obtained by The Tennessee Star on Wednesday confirm Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) is not a “target” of the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation, which prompted the FBI to seize his cell phone after serving a search warrant at his home just one day after he won the Republican Party’s nomination for reelection.

In an emergency motion seeking the return of his phone, attorneys representing Ogles revealed that federal prosecutors previously acknowledged Ogles is a “subject” of the investigation but not a “target” and said the DOJ’s receipt of his property violates the Speech and Debate Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

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Democrat Facing Andy Ogles Praises Tennessee’s ‘Generations of Responsible Gun Owners’ After Blaming ‘White Patriarchy’ for Red Flag Law Failure

Tom Pappert
Maryam Abolfazli

Despite previously blaming Tennessee’s “white patriarchy” for blocking the implementation of red flag laws and other gun control legislation last year, on Monday the Democrat challenging Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional district for the Volunteer State’s  “generations of responsible gun owners,” and suggested federal gun control legislation she would only target “irresponsible” gun owners.

Gun control activist Maryam Abolfazli, who received the Democratic Party’s nomination to challenge Ogles earlier this month, made the remarks to WLPN News.

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U.S. Attorney Who Secured Search Warrant for Rep. Andy Ogles Was Previously Partner at Law Firm ‘100% Committed’ to DEI

Tom Pappert
United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis

Henry Leventis, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, was previously a partner at a law firm which claims to be “100 [percent] committed” to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the controversial practices conservatives complain reward individuals based on their gender, skin color or other immutable characteristics rather than character or capability.

Leventis worked as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee from 2015 until 2020, when he left the Department of Justice (DOJ) for a private sector job.

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Chief Judge Silent on Apparent Leak of Sealed Info About FBI Search Warrant for Rep. Andy Ogles

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles

Chief District Judge William Campbell, who oversees the Middle District of Tennessee for the U.S. District Court, did not respond to a Thursday inquiry from The Tennessee Star that sought information about the apparent leak of information related to the FBI search warrant executed on Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05).

Ogles confirmed on Tuesday the FBI executed a search warrant at his Maury County, Tennessee home to obtain his personal cell phone last Friday, less than 24 hours after he won the Tennessee Republican primary in a victory over his Never Trump-backed opponent.

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U.S. Attorney Who Oversaw FBI Search Warrant Served on Rep. Andy Ogles Previously Served Under Jack Smith

Tom Pappert
Henry Leventis, Jack Smith

Henry Leventis, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee who oversaw the FBI search warrant served on Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) last Friday, previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney under special prosecutor Jack Smith.

Leventis supervised the FBI search warrant executed at Ogles’ Maury County home. In a statement, Ogles said the warrant was issued to obtain his personal cell phone due to well-reported issues with his initial campaign filings. Ogles filed amendments earlier this year that he claims corrected what were honest mistakes.

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Tennessee Democrat Challenging Rep. Andy Ogles Blamed ‘White Patriarchy’ After Lawmakers Denied Gun Control Push in 2023

Tom Pappert
Maryam Abolfazli and Andy Ogles

The Tennessee Democrat who received the nomination to challenge Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in November blamed the state’s “white patriarchy” last year after the General Assembly did not pass gun control legislation during a special session in the wake of the March 27, 2023, attack on the Covenant School.

Maryam Abolfazli, the Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, wrote in an August 2023 article published by Tennessee Lookout that the “white patriarchy” was responsible for the failure of gun control legislation to materialize during the special session called by Governor Bill Lee in the wake the Covenant School attack.

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KamaLawfare: Politicized FBI Executes Search Warrant on GOP Rep. Andy Ogles, Who Leads Impeachment of VP Harris

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles and FBI

The Tennessee Star learned the controversial and allegedly politicized FBI on Friday executed a search warrant at the Maury County, Tennessee, home of Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05).

Ogles confirmed in a statement provided to The Star that the FBI executed a search warrant for his personal cell phone in an apparent investigation of his campaign filings.

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Never Trumpers Lose Big in Tennessee GOP Primary

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles and Courtney Johnston

The Never Trump donors who assembled to oppose Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Thursday Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional district were trounced by the incumbent, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump more than one year prior to the election.

Ogles’ victory came despite the incumbent being out raised by his opponent, Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, who also benefited from more than $600,000 in advertising from the Conservatives with Character super PAC, whose treasurer told The Tennessee Star its primary purpose was to see the Trump-endorsed incumbent defeated.

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Tennessee U.S. Reps. Vote to Condemn Vice President Kamala Harris’ Failed Duty as Border Czar

Kaitlin Housler
Kamala Harris

All eight Republican members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation serving in the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to condemn the failure of the Biden administration and “border czar” Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the United States border.

The resolution, H.Res.1371, passed the House by a 220-196 vote. Six Democrats joined the majority vote.

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Super PAC Behind Controversial Pro-Johnston Mailers Purchases $256,000 Ad Buy Ahead of TN-5 Primary

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles and Courtney Johnston

The Conservatives with Character super PAC supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in her campaign to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Republican primary on August 1 on Wednesday spent more than $256,000 in advertisement in the final days before the election.

A reported filed with the Federal Election Commission by Conservatives with Character treasurer Randy Stamps confirmed the organization spent $200,000 with the New Mexico-based Ad Placement Results LLC, an additional $30,000 to the Nashville-based VOR Media advertising firm, and $26,820 with HTTV Direct LLC, a Virginia-based political mailing firm.

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Tennessee State Employee Jim Tracy Backs Left Wing PAC That Supports Courtney Johnston in TN-5 Primary Against Rep. Andy Ogles

Tom Pappert
Jim Tracy

Jim Tracy, who is employed as a senior advisor to the Department of Commerce and Insurance, is a board member of the political organization that recently sent $140,000 to a super PAC attacking Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in the Republican primary in the 5th Congressional District scheduled for August 1.

Tracy was named as a board member of The Best of Tennessee in a June 6 article by Tennessee Lookout, which reported he was then, “a Senior Advisor to the Department of Commerce and Insurance.”

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Never Trumper Tom Ingram Helped Start Group That Sent $140,000 to Super PAC Behind Pro-Johnston, Anti-Ogles Ads

Tom Pappert
Tom Ingram

Never Trumper political consultant and lobbyist Tom Ingram is one of the founders of The Best of Tennessee, which last month sent $140,000 to the Conservatives with Character super PAC that recently began a $140,000 ad campaign supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in her effort to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Tennessee Republican primary on August 1.

Ingram was listed as one of three founders of The Best of Tennessee in April by Tennessee Lookout, which reported the group’s founders also include pro-abortion attorney Chloe Akers and seasoned political fundraiser Kim Kaegi, who is also the treasurer for the Johnston campaign.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Members React to U.S. Secret Service Director’s Resignation

Kaitlin Housler
Kimberly Cheatle

Eight members of the Tennessee congressional delegation reacted to U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation on Tuesday, agreeing that her decision to step down was in the agency’s best interest.

Cheatle’s resignation came 10 days after former President Donald Trump was grazed by a single bullet in his upper right ear in what is formally being investigated as a failed assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

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GOP Rep. Ogles Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Kamala Harris

Just the News
Andy Ogles and Kamala Harris

Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles on Tuesday introduced articles of impeachment against Vice President Kamala Harris, according to Politico’s Olivia Beavers.

The articles accused Harris of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” saying that she “has willfully and systemically refused to uphold Federal immigration laws, in that: In her conduct of the Office of Vice President of the United States, Kamala Devi Harris… has willfully prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice.”

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Treasurer for Super PAC Behind Mailers Featuring Johnston, Trump Warns Former President Could ‘Dominate’ GOP with Help of Rep. Ogles

Tom Pappert
Randy Stamps and Courtney Johnston

Randy Stamps, who is the treasurer for the Conservatives with Character super PAC which sent mailers juxtaposing images of Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston and former President Donald Trump, told The Tennessee Star on Tuesday he is among the Republicans who do not want the former president to “dominate” the Republican Party.

Stamps also confirmed Conservatives with Character sent the mailers as part of the $140,000 advertising campaign reported last month, and said it is part of the same advertising campaign that followed a $140,000 cash injection from The Best of Tennessee, whose co-founder is Kim Kaegi, a seasoned political fundraiser who also serves as Johnston’s campaign treasurer.

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Group Tied to Courtney Johnston Campaign Sent $140,000 to Super PAC Behind Ads Targeting Rep. Andy Ogles

Tom Pappert
TN5 Candidate Courtney Johnson

The Tennessee super PAC supporting the challenge by Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnson to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-07) in the Republican primary contest for the state’s  7th Congressional district recently received $140,000 from a group connected to Johnston’s campaign.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) records confirm the group Conservatives with Character received $140,000 on June 7, 2024 from The Best of Tennessee Action Fund, one of the strategically interlinked organizations co-founded by pro-abortion attorney Chloe Akers and political fundraiser Kim Kaegi in April.

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Rep. Andy Ogles Calls Pro-Courtney Johnston Mailers Featuring President Trump ‘Disgraceful and Despicable’

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles and Courtney Johnston in front on misleading Johnston mailer (composite image)

Despite Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) already securing the endorsement of former President Donald Trump in his bid for reelection in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional district, political advertisements mailed to voters depict his only Republican challenger, Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, alongside Republican presidential nominee.

The mailers do not appear to be sent by Johnston’s campaign, but are attributed to Conservatives with Character, the super PAC that recently began an advertising campaign against Ogles, and were obtained by The Tennessee Star from a recipient within the district.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces the Preventing Forced Abortions Act of 2024

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced a bill this week to protect surrogate mothers from being forced to have abortions as part of terms set in surrogacy contracts.

Ogles’ Preventing Forced Abortions Act of 2024 would prohibit federal courts from enforcing any part of a surrogacy contract that requires a surrogate mother to get an abortion.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Proposes Amendment to Prevent D.C. Statehood

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) reportedly proposed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act on Tuesday that would squash efforts to grant Washington, D.C., statehood.

Ogles’ proposal, according to a report by The Hill, “called for the prohibition of funds for the New Columbia Statehood Commission — which coordinates the district’s efforts to become the 51st state — and to prohibit funds being used to conduct an election for a senator for the District of Columbia.”

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Clint Brewer: Courtney Johnston Has ‘Some Real Support’ Among Nashville Voters But Lags Behind in Williamson, Maury, Wilson, Marshall, and Lewis Counties

Kaitlin Housler
Courtney Johnston

Recovering journalist and Nashville-area public policy expert Clint Brewer said Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston, who is running in the August 1 Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, has some “real support” among voters in Davidson County.

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Tennessee’s Elected Officials React to Thursday’s Presidential Debate

Peter D'Abrosca
Biden and Trump

Tennessee’s elected officials reacted positively to former President Donald Trump’s debate performance against President Joe Biden on Thursday night. 

“There is no debate about it: President Trump was the clear winner tonight and the person we need to save our country,” said a statement from Sen. Marsha Blackburn. “Under President Biden, hardworking families can’t afford basic necessities, illegal immigrants are treated better than our nation’s veterans and criminals get off scot-free while the Justice Department unfairly targets conservatives.”

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U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces Bill to Reinstate Trump-Era Trade Sanctions Against China’s Institute of Forensic Science

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would re-list the Ministry of Public Security’s (MPS) Institute of Forensic Science of China onto the Entity List maintained by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce.

In 2020, the Trump administration slapped sanctions on the Chinese MPS Institute of Forensic Science for its role in the surveillance and abuse of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province.

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Incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Trounces TN-5 Challenger Courtney Johnston in Straw Poll at Davidson County Republican Party’s Annual Picnic Event

Kaitlin Housler
Rep. Andy Ogles

Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) was the resounding victor among attendees at the Davidson County Republican Party’s annual picnic event on Saturday who participated in a straw poll weighing candidates running in the August 1 Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

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Reporter Peter D’Abrosca: TN-05 GOP Candidate Courtney Johnston’s Reluctance Talking to the Press Fuels Assumptions She Is a Left-of-Center Candidate

Kaitlin Housler
Pete and MPL

Peter D’Abrosca, reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston’s reluctance to speak with the press on various issues only leaves voters to assume that she is a left-of-center candidate running in the August 1 GOP primary race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

Johnston is running in the August 1 primary against incumbent U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), who boasts a 100 percent rating on the Heritage Action Scorecard, the nation’s leading conservative scorecard.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Urges President Biden to Approve Governor Lee’s Disaster Declaration

Kaitlin Housler
Tennessee Tornado Damage

All 11 members of the Tennessee congressional delegation sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting the “swift approval” of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration due to severe storms that devastated communities across the Volunteer State last month.

On May 8 and May 9, several rounds of significant severe weather impacted 13 Tennessee counties, causing three fatalities and damage to 459 homes in Tennessee.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces the ‘No Juicing Joe Act’ Ahead of Trump v. Biden Debate

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced a bill on Thursday that would require the White House to notify Congress of each instance the president takes certain drugs relating to cognitive function.

Ogles’ “No Juicing Joe Act” would specifically require the White House to alert Congress when the president takes a drug that could alter his alertness, judgment, or mood.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Signs Letter Pushing Back on New Energy Mandates on Home Construction

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) signed a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), opposing the agencies’ recently adopted mandates for new home construction.

On May 28, the HUD and USDA’s “Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards for New Construction of HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing” mandate went into effect, requiring all HUD and USDA-financed single-family homes to be constructed under the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

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