Stockard on the Stump: Beaman disassociates from Ogles’ shady campaign report

Nashville car magnate and political donor Lee Beaman is distancing himself from a federal investigation into the campaign finance filings of U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles.

But playing dumb about being named treasurer for Ogles’ first congressional campaign in 2022 couldn’t keep his nomination for a post on the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors from being postponed this week. It is unclear when, or if, it will be revived by the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. 

When Senate Democrats grilled him in a hearing last week, Beaman said he served as Ogles’ campaign treasurer for only four months. But he filed written responses afterward repeatedly saying he never agreed to be Ogles’ treasurer and had no knowledge of a questionable $320,000 loan Ogles reported on a Federal Election Commission filing. Beaman said Ogles asked him in a text message to serve as campaign treasurer in early 2022 but that he didn’t answer.

Despite not agreeing to take the job, Beaman said in his official responses to senators he thought it was an “honorary” position and that he didn’t sign any FEC reports even though his name appeared on them. 

This wasn’t Beaman’s first deal with Ogles. As ProPublica reported in March, Beaman said he planned to raise $4 million in 2017 when Ogles announced a bid for U.S. Senate that didn’t come to fruition.

Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles’ campaign finance reports still don’t add up

An Ogles spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment.

None of the senators asked Beaman whether he thought Ogles committed fraud by putting his name on FEC documents without permission.

The former owner of multiple Nashville auto dealerships and Beaman Bottling Company said he asked that he be removed as treasurer after seeing an ad listing his name.

Previously, the House Ethics Committee found Ogles likely violated federal campaign finance laws, mainly by reporting an inflated personal loan to make his bid for office look stronger in 2022. Ogles initially said he raised $450,000 for the race, yet his first FEC report showed he brought in only $250,000.

Ogles amended campaign finance reports in May 2024 and acknowledged making a $20,000 loan to his campaign and saying the additional $300,000 was in a joint account he shared with his wife.

Beaman said he had “nothing to do” with the FEC report filed in July 2022 showing the $320,000 loan and wasn’t familiar with allegations surrounding it until they were reported by local media much later.

According to committee questioning, the Ogles for Congress campaign issued a press release in July 2022 stating that Ogles “did direct donors to a few independent expenditure groups they were planning to assist in my getting elected.”

Beaman, though, said other than being a donor, during his time as campaign chairman he wasn’t overly involved in a dark money-group called Volunteers for Freedom Super PAC that backed Ogles’ candidacy three years ago. It’s illegal for campaigns and PACs whose money is not traceable to coordinate.

Secretive D.C. influence project appears to be running a group house for right-wing lawmakers

Beaman said he and his attorney started researching the dark-money question but didn’t know about a “donor-direction scheme” by Ogles because he didn’t know he was the campaign treasurer.

None of this scared Beaman off of political work: He and his wife, Julie, a former Williamson County Republican Party chair, recently served as co-chairs for U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps’ campaign. 

But despite asking to be removed as treasurer, Beaman said he didn’t become aware Ogles became treasurer for a short time until after the House Ethics Committee contacted him in September 2025. Political operative Thomas Datwyler, who also has numerous questions surrounding his work, then took the job.

“I am aware of certain prohibitions. My only involvement was as a donor to the Ogles campaign and to the Volunteers for Freedom Super PAC. I did not engage in any coordinated activity between these two entities,” said Beaman, who was removed from the Belmont University Board of Trustees in 2018 following salacious accusations against him in divorce proceedings. He returned to the board in 2021.

One Democratic senator broached the allegations Beaman’s ex-wife made but declined to specify them in the hearing because they’re just too embarrassing.

“Deja vu all over again”

With apologies to the late Yankees Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, we’ve been here before.

When the Tennessee Supreme Court sided with Gov. Bill Lee, striking down a challenge of his first private-school voucher law, it ran a flanking maneuver around the state’s Home Rule Amendment, which requires approval from local governments when targeted by the legislature. In short, the court decided Metro Nashville Public Schools aren’t part of the Metro Nashville government, or some such nincompoopery.

Yogi’s redundancy is fitting here because, once again, the Supreme Court found that the Constitution doesn’t mean what it says, this time in regard to a challenge of Senate redistricting maps the legislature adopted in 2022.

In split rulings that would leave 99.99% of the public in complete confusion, the court ruled against Nashville resident Francie Hunt’s challenge of Senate redistricting maps, deciding she didn’t even have standing to sue. Hunt claimed the Senate plan was unconstitutional in that it failed to enact consecutively numbered districts in Davidson County to ensure two districts would be selected during a presidential election year and two in a gubernatorial election year.

The idea is to keep most or all of the Senate seats in counties with multiple districts from changing in one fell swoop.

But the court found Hunt couldn’t even prove enough injury to sue, only that she was wronged in a legal sense. Thus, it never really resolved the argument.

Only Justice Holly Kirby, who is retiring from the court halfway through 2026, had the guts to say there was no precedent or legal basis for the ruling. She was appointed to the court by former Gov. Bill Haslam.

Meanwhile, the justices found that Gibson County resident Gary Wygant had standing to challenge the House redistricting map that split his county in two. But it decided his challenge could affect only Gibson County, not the rest of the state. 

Of course, the House districts in Gibson County could be reconfigured only if others were redrawn to reach the right numbers and racial requirements, so why bother?

Under the law, districts can be drawn to protect incumbents.

District 18 held by Republican Sen. Ferrell Haile of Gallatin had to be reshaped to take in tiny Trousdale County. Previously, it contained Old Hickory and other parts of Davidson County, ensuring Metro Nashville had consecutively-numbered Senate districts.

The Republican-controlled Senate redrew Lebanon Sen. Mark Pody’s District 17 out of rural counties into the Donelson/Percy Priest area, which wouldn’t necessarily protect his seat in 2026.

That move made it easier for Republican Sen. Shane Reeves of Murfreesboro to keep his post southeast of Nashville.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, obviously, was pleased with the decision.

“We carefully and cautiously drew a fair and legal map and I am grateful the court has allowed that map to stand,” McNally said in a statement. 

McNally and Secretary of State Tre Hargett congratulated Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and his office on the win.

Democrats weren’t quite as enthused, saying the Supreme Court relinquished its authority to keep the legislature and executive branch in check.

“Courts exist to safeguard our constitutional rights, not to create new barriers for citizens who seek to enforce them. I am deeply concerned that this decision closes the courthouse doors to everyday citizens and erodes the balance of powers our Constitution requires,” said Democratic Sen. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis.

Democratic Sen. London Lamar of Memphis called the ruling “devastating” for people who believe they have at least a shred of constitutional rights.

“That is a breathtaking step backward. This is the kind of radical decision that wipes away constitutional protections for the sake of insulating political power,” Lamar said in a statement.

Democrats point out the Supreme Court holds the distinction of being the nation’s first court to rule that a citizen lacks the legal right to challenge the constitutionality of their own voting district.

It’s not clear when the trophies will be handed out for this groundbreaking decision. But we have a feeling similar ones will follow. The justices need only perform a few legal cartwheels and, man, they’re already there.

Late lawmaker replaced

The Montgomery County Commission voted this week to fill the District 75 seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Jeff Burkhart of Clarksville.

According to ClarksvilleNow, Mayor Wes Golden broke a tie vote to make County Commissioner Michael Lankford the new representative, edging out Democrat Allie Phillips. Phillips ran against Burkhart in 2024.

Lankford will fill the rest of Burkhart’s term until elections in 2026. 

We’ll see whether he can stand the excitement.

Heavy hearts

Lawmakers are mourning the death of former House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick this week after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“Though we stood on different sides of the aisle, as the Republican Majority Leader, he approached his position with fairness, integrity, and a genuine willingness to listen,” said House Democratic Leader Karen Camper.

Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons added that those who worked with McCormick will “miss his quick smile and hearty handshake.”

House Republicans said in a statement they are “heartbroken” over the death of McCormick.

“As a United States Army veteran, legislator and House majority leader, McCormick played a pivotal role in advancing the values and freedoms that make our state and our nation a beacon of success,” the caucus said.

McCormick left the legislature in 2018 and sold his Chattanooga house, acknowledging that Nashville was becoming his primary home. 

While lawmakers remember him fondly, a few folks probably recall he was good at delivering what some would refer to as an old-fashioned butt chewing, and that’s putting it kindly.

“Do you realize / We’re floating in space?”

*The Flaming Lips, “Do You Realize?”