It would be an exaggeration to say résumé inflation never happens in politics. Many observers can probably think of assorted candidates and officials who’ve overstated their military or business experiences in the hopes of impressing voters. It shouldn’t happen, but it does.
In the wake of the 2022 midterm elections, however, the public has been confronted with a qualitatively different series of controversies. At issue aren’t relatively harmless embellishments — a 3.6 grade point average, for example, quietly becomes a 3.7 — but rather dramatic reports of politicians who’ve allegedly invented key elements of their personal and professional backgrounds.
Rep. George Santos is obviously in a league of his own, and if there’s a Lying Hall of Shame, the New York Republican will have no trouble getting inducted. But last week, The Washington Post published a report about another first-year House Republican, Florida’s Anna Paulina Luna, and the degree to which claims about her background have also been called into question.
WTVF, the CBS affiliate in Nashville, has raised related questions about yet another first-year House Republican.
If you believe Middle Tennessee’s newest congressman, he’s not only a businessman, he’s also an economist, a nationally recognized expert in tax policy and health care, a trained police officer, even an expert in international sex crimes. But an exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation discovered that Andy Ogles’ personal life story is filled with exaggerations, a story that’s often too good to be true.
It’s likely that Ogles’ name is relatively unfamiliar to national audiences. After all, the Republican congressman only began his career on Capitol Hill last month, and his most notable move to date has been joining a cadre of far-right lawmakers who tried to derail Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become House speaker.
Now, however, Ogles appears likely to be known for something else entirely.
For example, the GOP congressman has repeatedly described himself as “an economist,” even bragging about the title during the first meeting on the House Financial Services Committee. According to the reporting from WTVF, however, Ogles does not appear to have a degree in economics — undergrad or postgrad — and he has no credible reason to present himself to the public as an economist.
Unfortunately for the Tennessean, that’s just the start. The local report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, also noted that Ogles repeatedly boasted about having a career in law enforcement, working “in international sex crimes, specifically child trafficking.” There’s apparently reason to doubt these claims, too. From the WTVF reporting:
In fact, our investigation found Ogles was sworn in as a volunteer reserve deputy with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in July 2009. Records show he lost that position two years later for not meeting minimum standards, making no progress in field training and failure to attend required meetings.
A spokesperson for the Williamson County sheriff’s office told the local outlet, “There is nothing in Mr. Ogles training or personnel file that indicates he had any involvement in ‘international sex trafficking’ in his capacity as a reserve deputy.”
The same report went on to suggest the congressman also exaggerated his work at a non-profit organization called Abolition International.
When WTVF sought a comment from the GOP lawmaker, the station did not get a response.
Under the standards House Republican leaders used to embrace, allegations like these would’ve put Ogles’ standing on Capitol Hill in real jeopardy. But in 2023, the most likely GOP response to this new reporting will be total indifference.
