MISSING CASH

What Did Tennessee Rep Do With Child Burial Garden Donations?

A GoFundMe raised almost $24,000. Now donors are asking questions.

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) raised tens of thousands of dollars to pay for a children’s “burial garden”—but he won’t say where the money went. In 2014, Ogles used a photo of his stillborn child, Lincoln, in a GoFundMe campaign to raise cash for “Lincoln’s Place,” a “burial garden” that would create “a place for Lincoln’s new play friends as they wait in Heaven for their families.” Generous donors gave almost $24,000 to the cause, but they’re now concerned the garden was never built. The newly elected congressman—who was last month accused of having possibly exaggerated or lied on his résumé—refused to answer questions about the matter when approached by Nashville’s NewsChannel 5. GoFundMe confirmed to the station that Ogles received the funds. The lawmaker released a statement Wednesday insisting the money was actually used to help “families covering the cost of funeral expenses and other needs for their children,” calling the investigation into the GoFundMe a “smear campaign.” NewsChannel 5 reporter Phil Williams said Ogles offered “no proof” of his claims.