Latest news with #AndyOgles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ogles claims federal investigation into Nashville mayor has begun
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) posted on social media Friday that the Congressional investigation into Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has begun. Rep. Ogle's said the federal investigation of Mayor O'Connell, connected to this month's ICE operation, is moving forward. Ogles posted a letter from two house committees, requesting the mayor turn over documents to congress by June of defending our state, Mayor Freddie O'Connell is sabotaging it. He's weaponized his office to dox and surveil federal agents who are trying to stop violent criminals — and worse, he's embraced those criminals by creating a taxpayer-funded program to aid illegal aliens. The recipients of these funds are untraceable. The purpose is crystal clear: help illegal foreigners evade the law. I refuse to sit back while our communities are overrun — while our neighborhoods are destroyed and our daughters are assaulted. And I doubly refuse to stay silent while blue city mayors aid and abet this invasion. Today, with the full support of Chairmen Jim Jordan and Mark Green, I'm taking action. If Mayor O'Connell wants to spy on federal agents doing their job, then Congress is going to investigate him for obstruction. Rep. Andy Ogles Homeland Security identifies Nashville as sanctuary city The Nashville Community Review Board recently called out Rep. Ogles for what the executive director described as a 'reckless' social media post amid the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. Ogles claimed the board was protecting 'illegal aliens,' and now the board said it's getting 'ugly' calls from people across the country. The 'public safety operation' involving ICE and Tennessee Highway Patrol has led to at least 196 arrests in Nashville this month, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS recently identified Nashville as a sanctuary city on its list, which was 'created to identify sanctuary jurisdictions, which are determined by factors like compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens,' according to DHS. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
If Trump keeps threatening our judges, we'll lose our rule of law
In recent weeks, President Trump has called various federal judges "monsters who want our country to go to hell,' "EVIL,' "lunatics,' "CORRUPT,' "crooked,' "unfair disaster[s],' and "disgraceful.' Down Pennsylvania Avenue, in the halls of Congress, Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) recently put up Western-style "wanted posters' of various federal court judges. High-profile political actors from Elon Musk to Representative Marjorie Taylor Green to Arizona's own Representative Eli Crane have recently called for the impeachment of judges. All told, such words have unsurprisingly led to increased unpleasantness for federal judges – death threats to Judge Amir Ali, bomb threats to the sister of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, suspicious deliveries to Judges Paul Engelmayer and Jeanette Vargas, etc. The U.S. Marshals Service reported 224 investigated threats to federal judges in 2021. That number grew to 457 in 2023. And 2025 is on pace for a new record. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts recently made a rare public rebuke of attacks on the federal judiciary: "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.' So too did Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson ("relentless attacks … undermining our Constitution and the rule of law.') Last week, Congressional Democrats introduced a bill to transfer control of the U.S. Marshals – the men and women who provide security for the courts – from the executive branch to the federal judiciary. The authors of the bill fear that without the legislative change, judges will fear for their safety if they rule against President Trump. All of this is unfortunate. And while it might be worse than ever, none of this is new. We know that in Arizona. I clearly remember the left's hostile reaction when the Arizona Supreme Court ruled against the "Invest in Ed' initiative in 2018. Some critics challenged the merits of the legal opinion. That's fine. It's even healthy. Others chose a different route. They questioned the ethics of the judges. Or their patriotism. Or their commitment to democracy. Similar charges were made following the Arizona Supreme Court's ruling that reinstated Arizona's 1864 abortion ban. Activists focused on Justices Clint Bolick and Kathryn King, saying they were "unfit to serve' or that they were "abusing their positions for years to serve a political agenda.' Former state legislator Athena Salman called into question the whole judicial process: "[This] corrupt Court completely disregards our rights.' Nevermind that judges were being asked to make a specific legal determination on what the laws, as written, required. They weren't being asked for their opinion on what the law should be, or whether or not it was absurd to return to Arizona's territorial law. I once proudly thought the political right was largely immune from such nonsensical actions. But then Abe Hamadeh and Kari Lake came on the scene. Following their various losses, they blamed anyone possible. And that included the judiciary. Hamadeh, now a Congressman, once wrote derogatorily of the political left that, "In their attempt to further destroy the rule of law, Democrats are going after judges who stand in their way.' But his tune changed following his winless record in state trial courts, appellate courts, and the Arizona Supreme Court: "[Judicial] corruption must be rooted out completely.' "Marxist radical Democrat judges are destroying America while Republican judges are surrendering.' "I wish our judges loved the rule of law more than they hate me.' Never once did Hamadeh consider that he was simply wrong on the law and the facts. Instead it was the moral character of every single judge who ruled on his cases. He got so convinced of his own victimhood and judicial corruption that he took to the airwaves on the James T. Harris Show to call for the removal of Ducey-appointed Justice Clint Bolick. As for Kari Lake, after each legal loss – and there are lots of them – she takes to social media to boldly state that she only lost because of 'corruption,' 'cowardice,' 'cabals,' or 'compromised' judges. She even accused one judge of unlawfully handing over his judicial responsibilities to liberal attorney Marc Elias – a 'ghostwritten' legal decision. I witnessed first hand the effects of such comments. In May 2023, I sat in the courtroom of one Lake case when my team found a social media message from a Lake supporter threatening the judge in the case. We showed it to the court. The court paused the case until additional security could be provided. This needs to stop. The judiciary's role is to make decisions on facts and law. Inevitably, some litigants win, and some lose. That's true even in emotionally fraught cases. It's true in political cases. And sometimes, even if the public is overwhelmingly on one side, that side might lose because the facts and law don't support that side. That's how the law works. And we are a country of law. The losing party must respect this process. You can of course disagree with a court's ruling. You can write or speak about how they got the law wrong. You can appeal. But comments to the effect of 'corruption,' should be reserved for situations in which there is, in fact, corruption – e.g. if a judge takes a monetary bribe to rule a certain way. Similarly, calls for impeachment or the removal of the judge shouldn't be made simply because you dislike a ruling. They should be limited to obviously deficient or illegal conduct. If the path we're currently on continues, and if politicians like President Trump continue threatening our judiciary, then it's trouble for the future independence of the judiciary. Judges won't be able to fairly evaluate facts and law if they fear that a ruling that aggravates one party may lead to the judge's physical harm or removal from the position. That's extortion. And who would even want to be a judge in such a setting? Only the corrupt. As Arizona Justice Clint Bolick wrote in these pages, "it's game over if judges look over their shoulders.' Stephen Richer is a former Maricopa County recorder. He is now a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Ash Center, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and CEO of Republic Affairs. Follow him on X: @stephen_richer. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Trump's attacks on judges threaten US rule of law | Opinion
Fox News
2 days ago
- General
- Fox News
SCOOP: Top congressional committees launch probe into Nashville mayor accused of blocking ICE
FIRST ON FOX: Two powerful committees in the House of Representatives are opening an investigation into another Democratic official accused of blocking federal immigration authorities. House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., is leading a probe into Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell alongside Nashville-area Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn, Fox News Digital learned Friday. Ogles had been petitioning leaders for weeks to look into O'Connell after the Democratic leader publicly denounced Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in his city and signed an executive order aimed at tracking ICE movements in the area. The probe is being supported by the House Judiciary Committee, which is led by Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., chair of the subcommittee for immigration enforcement. "The Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security of the U.S. House of Representatives are conducting oversight of state and local jurisdictions that endanger American communities through efforts aimed at thwarting the work of federal immigration officials," the four leaders wrote in a letter to O'Connell. "While the state of Tennessee has outlawed sanctuary policies, recent actions from your office threaten to chill immigration enforcement in the City of Nashville and Davidson County. Accordingly, we write to request information about how your recent actions, including a directive to Nashville and Davidson County employees to disclose their communications with federal immigration officials, affects the robust enforcement of immigration law." The lawmakers said O'Connell's executive order, which mandated that government employees report interactions with federal immigration authorities, "could have a chilling effect on the ability of local law enforcement to communicate freely and candidly with federal immigration employees." "In fact, your chief lawyer recently admitted that it was an 'open question' whether an individual could legally 'announce in advance that there's an impending enforcement activity,'" they wrote. "This statement, when viewed in context of your order requiring all Metro law-enforcement officers to report about communications with ICE personnel, raises the prospect that Metro employees may use nonpublic information to warn criminal aliens of planned ICE enforcement operations. In other words, there is the real potential that your Executive Order could have the effect of diminishing ICE enforcement operations." It comes after ICE agents working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol arrested nearly 200 people the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said were illegal immigrants – many of them criminals with gang affiliations or other sordid pasts. The DHS news release targeted O'Connell by name over comments he made in early May. "What's clear today is that people who do not share our values of safety and community have the authority to cause deep community harm." After the arrests, O'Connell signed an executive order aimed at tracking peoples' interactions with federal immigration authorities, according to WSMV4. He said of ICE's work in his city, "It's important for us to get this right, and it's very frustrating to see a failure in the process." O'Connell also helped launch the Nashville government's nonprofit, "The Belonging Fund," to help illegal immigrants pay for urgent care needs. The fund's website states that "donations to the fund are made possible solely by individual donors and private organizations - no government dollars are included. That means no taxpayer dollars are being used in the administration or distribution of this fund." Republicans, however, have questioned whether that is true. "The recipients of these funds are untraceable, and the purpose seems crystal clear: help illegal foreigners evade the law," Ogles told Fox News Digital. "I refuse to sit back while our communities are overrun — while our neighborhoods are destroyed and our daughters are assaulted. And I doubly refuse to stay silent while blue city mayors aid and abet this invasion." O'Connell is now one of several Democratic leaders locked in an immigration fight with the Trump administration. House Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was charged by the Justice Department with assaulting an officer after she and two other House Democrats forced their way into a Newark ICE detention center, charges McIver has dismissed as political. Fox News Digital reached out to the Nashville mayor's office for comment on the letter.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Amendment to Give Trump a Third Term Has 'A Lot of Support': GOP Rep
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Republican Representative has claimed that a proposed amendment to the Constitution allowing presidents to serve more than two terms has "a lot of support" among GOP colleagues. Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles introduced a House joint resolution on January 23 to amend the part of the Constitution that prevents a president from being elected more than twice. Speaking to Fox News about the move, he said: "It forces a conversation... we have a lot of support in the House." However, he acknowledged that the amendment faced "a tough road" if it is to be passed by the House and Senate. President Donald Trump speaking in the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday. President Donald Trump speaking in the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday. AP Photo/Evan Vucci This is a developing story. More to follow.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Metro Nashville appears to quietly remove names from immigration report following GOP criticism
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Metro Nashville has apparently revised its public immigration report following pressure from Republican lawmakers who said the city endangered federal law enforcement officers. A city document released earlier this month detailed 35 immigration-related interactions between Metro Police and federal agencies. The report initially named individuals, including a Metro Council member, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement analyst, and Homeland Security officers. However, as of Thursday, May 29, all those names have been removed from the public version of the report. The revision follows criticism from state and federal Republican leaders who argued the publication of those names jeopardized agent safety. Nashville criticized for sharing ICE interactions State Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) was one of the most vocal critics, calling out Mayor Freddie O'Connell's executive order that requires Metro to document and publish ICE interactions. 'Freddie O'Connell is using taxpayer resources to endanger DHS and HSI officials,' Garrett wrote on social media platform X. 'His Trump Derangement Syndrome knows no bounds, and he ought to be ashamed of endangering those working to keep our communities safe.' Garrett, along with U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), contended that the mayor's executive order could expose federal agents to threats. Both lawmakers support a state investigation, in addition to the federal probe that Ogles confirmed earlier this week. According to Ogles, the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees will look into the mayor, his conduct and whether or not the city used federal dollars 'in criminal enterprise' related to immigration. O'Connell has previously disputed claims that he and Metro leaders obstructed ICE agents. Congressman Andy Ogles confirms federal investigation into Nashville mayor's office over illegal immigration Other Tennessee Republicans have joined the call for action. 'It's also just impeding in other ways,' said state Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin). 'We've got sanctuary city laws on the books here in Tennessee, and whether [O'Connell] has violated any of those laws, I think, deserves some looking into.' Garrett doubled down, saying, 'Nashvillians should be irate. I think folks in Nashville should be calling for the mayor's resignation.' He went further, suggesting the order itself may be illegal: 'Under his new revised executive order, in my opinion, is probably an illegal executive order because they're not reporting criminal activity to the courts. He is basically harboring…violating the law, he's still creating and wants Nashville to be a sanctuary city, and that's illegal in the state of Tennessee.' Meanwhile, Homeland Security issued 'a comprehensive list of sanctuary jurisdictions that are deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and endangering American citizens' Thursday, saying that the department is 'exposing these sanctuary politicians who harbor criminal illegal aliens and defy federal law.' Homeland Security demands the jurisdictions on the list — which included Nashville — revise their policies to align with federal immigration laws, as well as 'renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens.' TN congressman criticized for social media post about Nashville Community Review Board Reeves echoed Garrett's concern, warning that the policies could affect more than just Nashville: 'What happens in Nashville doesn't stay in Nashville. It bleeds over into other communities, and certainly I'm concerned about Brentwood and Franklin and Fairview and Thompson's Station.' Reeves also said he agrees with other lawmakers who believe O'Connell should consider stepping down, describing the mayor's actions as 'putting criminals above the citizens of his city and his county.' Garrett emphasized that public safety should transcend political lines: 'It should be easy. It shouldn't be a partisan issue, whether you're Republican or Democrat or don't identify with any party, that the public safety should be paramount and second to nothing, and this mayor is doing just that.' News 2 reached out to O'Connell's office for comment on the document changes and the growing controversy. We have yet to hear back. News 2 has also reached out to Metro Legal and the Tennessee Attorney General for comment on Nashville's appearance in Homeland Security's list, but there has been no response yet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
