(The Center Square) – Former Republican Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his chief of staff, Cade Cothren, face up to 20 years in prison after their conviction on a list of charges related to what prosecutors called a scheme to defraud the state.
The men were convicted by a jury on charges of conspiracy to commit theft from programs receiving federal funds; bribery and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; honest services wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering; using a fictitious name to carry out a fraud; theft concerning programs receiving federal funds; eight counts of money laundering; and two counts of bribery and kickbacks, according to Robert E. McGuire, acting United States attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Both were found guilty on additional charges. Cothren was also convicted of an additional six counts of honest services wire fraud. The jury acquitted Casada of two counts of honest services wire fraud but convicted him of two more counts.
The plan involved Cothren posing as a “Matthew Phoenix,” a fictional experienced political consultant, according to prosecutors.
Casada and former Republican state representative Robin Smith of Hixson would encourage colleagues to use Phoenix’s services in exchange for kickbacks from Cothren, according to the office. Those services included printing and designing legislative updates and survey mailers for members of the Tennessee General Assembly, federal prosecutors said.
Phoenix Solutions received $51,947 in state payments and more than $170,000 from political organizations, campaigns and candidates, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud in 2022 and was a witness in the trial. She also faces up to 20 years in prison and will be sentenced June 9. She was first elected to the House in 2018 and resigned in 2022.
Casada was House speaker from January 2019 to August 2019. He was a member of the House, representing Franklin, from 2003 to 2023. He and Cothren will be sentenced at a later date, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs,” McGuire said. “Our office will continue to pursue justice on behalf of our community in cases involving public corruption and fraud committed by elected officials or their staffs.”
