State Senate aide and Tennessee 5th Congressional District candidate in the August 4 Republican primary Tres Wittum slammed his opponent Andy Ogles for the job he’s done as Maury County mayor and for “his lack of transparency” in failing to disclose his campaign finances.
“I’ve heard the quote believe people when they tell you who they are. Andy Ogles has not done his job as mayor, Andy Ogles makes outrageous claims that probably are not backed up, and lastly his lack of transparency isn’t surprising with his FEC report,” said Wittum.
“This is what career politicians do. They say one thing and do another,” he added.
As of press time, Ogles had yet to file his campaign finance report as required by law with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). The report, which covered campaign finance activities from April 1 through June 30, was due on July 15.
Another pre-primary report is due on July 23.
The Tennessee Star previously reported that Ogles skipped the Maury County Commission meeting on Monday evening, where a vote was held to override his veto of the county budget.
The candidate instead elected to attend a campaign meet-and-greet held at Plantation Pub in Bellevue, Tennessee.
Wittum took Ogles to task over his lack of attendance.
In a tweet, Wittum said, “Let the record show the mayor is not here at tonight’s meeting. Politicians veto & run.. for other offices. I’ll never run from you, and I’ll do the work. I hear you Maury Co & I’ll take care of you as your congressman. Not just words, charades &speeches #TN5 #TN05 #TNGOP”
“Maury Co would be in violation of State law if the library (operational funding) isnt funded in its budget. This isn’t a ‘pound sand’ ‘defend with my AR-15, come arrest me,’ type of fix. We need responsible leaders.. it does matter who leads. Very upset people!! #TN5 #TN05,” added Wittum in another tweet.
“The mayor doesnt want to just defund the US Dept of EDU, He is attempting to defund Maury Co schools by $15million & the sheriff’s office will miss so much in payroll.. This isn’t good EDU or safety policy for Maury Co. “Where is the mayor to defend this veto?” #TN5 #TN05,” Wittum said in a third tweet.
Wittum told The Star on Monday that attending the meeting was “important” to him so he could understand “the security and budget of the counties in my district.”
“It’s very important to understand the county and city budget, that you have to understand the nuances of local issues when you are seeking to represent these people in the U.S. Congress,” he said.
“When you have a candidate that talks about border security, build the wall, and securing the border – and then he goes and – guts the sheriff’s budget, you have to show up,” Wittum added.
The Star previously reported that Ogles sent a letter to Maury County Commission Chairman Don Morrow in which he vetoed the proposed Maury County budget for the next fiscal year, citing the negative impact of the proposed tax increase as citizens deal with the Biden administration’s inflationary policies.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Tres Wittum” by Tres Wittum. Photo “Andy Ogles” by Mayor Andy Ogles for Congress. Background Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Martin Falbisoner. CC BY-SA 3.0.
