Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and Aide Found Guilty in Corruption Trial

Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his chief of staff, Cade Cothren, were found guilty on multiple corruption charges, ending a trial that shook the state's political establishment. According to WSMV, Casada was found guilty on most charges, save for two fraud charges, while Cothren was convicted on all counts. "Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs," Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Robert E. McGuire stated, reaffirming the government's commitment to justice in cases of public corruption.

The duo was charged with a variety of offenses including conspiracy, public corruption by fraud, bribery, name concealment, and money laundering, as detailed in the indictment covered by WKRN; the charges are tied to their involvement in a scheme to profit from the state's Postage and Printing Allowance the unfortunate truth being, corruption reached new heights as taxpayer dollars were leveraged for personal gain. Testimonies from lawmakers indicated they were unaware that Cothren was involved with the contract firm, Phoenix Solutions, to which they were directed for constituent mail services.

During the proceedings, testimony surfaced about a prior scandal involving Casada and Cothren, notably Cothren's resignation which came amid a firestorm of racist and sexist texting revelations. As reported by Tennessee Lookout, the two were instrumental in establishing the company Phoenix Solutions, which operated under the guise of a false identity and has been the crux of this corruption case. Representatives Jay Reedy, Esther Helton-Haynes, and former Rep. Patsy Hazlewood testified to their disappointment and feelings of betrayal, stating they would not have engaged with Phoenix Solutions had they known of Cothren’s association with the company.

Amid emotional scenes, Casada's wife was reported to have started sobbing as the verdicts were delivered, marking a fall from grace for the former speaker who was found guilty on 17 of 19 counts his former aide Cothren did not fare better in the verdicts, being found guilty on all counts against him. The elaborate scheme, which was uncovered by an FBI investigation, has thrown the state's political landscape into stark relief, and both Casada and Cothren are set to be released on bond until their sentencing on September 12. They have announced their intention to appeal the rulings.