Jania Ashlynn
The Republican Congressman implored people to donate to a GoFundMe in 2014 when he revealed to supporters that he lost a child.
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Noble Intentions
Now, the political circuit is heavily questioning the legislator about what happened to the $25,000 that was raised. The request for funds came just two days after his loss. The burial garden was meant to be planted in loving memory of stillborn children. Ogles used a photograph of his own stillborn child on the GoFundMe site.
The garden was set to include “a life-size statue of Jesus watching over the children,” and “benches for families to sit while surrounded by flowers.”
The caption on the site read, “Help us help other families. No family should have to bury their child; no child should be alone.”
It’s been eight years since construction for the garden was supposed to begin, but it seems as if the plot does not exist.
Salacious Questions
Nashville WTVF network sent officials to the cemetery where Ogles’ son is buried and didn’t find anything relating to the garden or the garden itself. The network also reached out to several donors about the construction of the garden. One of the donors stated that after grilling the Congressman about the funds, he received a refund of his contribution.
Ogles mentioned the garden back in 2015 when he did an interview with The Tennessean. He said that the money raised hadn’t been spent.
“What we found out over the past year as we have been going through this process is that burials are heavily regulated.”
WTVF reports that, “there is no evidence that any government regulation would have prevented the purchase of several cemetery plots for burying children.”
Ogles responded to the report saying it was a “smear campaign.” He stated that the fundraiser for the garden “”evolved … to direct financial support for families covering the cost of funeral expenses.”
As of recently, the funds and their location have yet to be revealed.
