Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren were convicted on multiple corruption charges tied to Phoenix Solutions, a secret company they used to siphon state funds via the House’s postage and printing program. Casada was found guilty on 17 counts including fraud, bribery, and money laundering. Cothren, who resigned amid a texting scandal, was convicted on all 19 fraud-related counts. They hid Cothren’s involvement by using a fake name on tax documents. The scheme generated $52,000 from lawmakers’ mailer budgets. Both remain free on bond pending sentencing in September and plan to appeal.
(This story has been updated with sentencing information.)
A jury convicted former House Speaker Glen Casada and his ex-top aide on corruption charges tied to a secretive political vendor.
The 12-person jury found Casada guilty of 17 counts of fraud, bribery, theft, conspiracy and money laundering and Cade Cothren, who left his chief of staff post amid a racist and sexist texting scandal in 2019, guilty on all 19 counts of fraud and kickbacks, stemming from his bogus signature of “Matthew Phoenix” on a federal W-9 tax form and state direct deposit document.
Both will be released on bond until sentencing on September 12, but attorneys for the pair say they felt confident about their cases and will appeal the verdicts. Just one fraud conviction comes with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Casada and Cothren were accused of setting up a secret company called Phoenix Solutions that tapped into the state’s postage and printing program that provides House members $3,000 a year for constituent mailers. Casada and former Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty and testified against the pair, steered lawmakers’ business to Phoenix Solutions, which was secretly run by Cothren with the front name of “Matthew Phoenix.”
Cade Cothren, a former legislative aide, walks down Nashville’s 7th Avenue with his attorney, Cynthia Sherwood, right, after being found guilty on 19 federal corruption counts. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Lawmakers such as Reps. Jay Reedy and Esther Helton-Haynes and former Rep. Patsy Hazlewood testified they wouldn’t have allowed Phoenix Solutions to do their mailers if they had known Cothren was running the company. In late 2019 and early 2020, Cothren was considered a liability because he had been forced to resign, just three months before Casada stepped down from his Speaker’s post after a no-confidence vote by the House Republican Caucus.
Federal prosecutors displayed several text messages and emails showing Cothren told Smith and Casada to keep his name off of documents. Smith testified that they hatched the plan in a meeting at an upscale Nashville bar in 2019. She came up with the name of “Phoenix” because she felt Cothren and Casada should be able to arise from political ashes.
The company generated $52,000 in revenue from constituent mailers for about 10 lawmakers, money that Smith described as “low-hanging fruit.” They tapped into campaign and Republican Caucus money, as well. But most of the trial dealt with the use of tax dollars.
The trial’s outcome brings to a close a five-year ordeal that started with the FBI probing lawmakers after the 2019 tie vote on the state’s education savings account program for low-income students in Metro Nashville, Memphis and, subsequently, Chattanooga.
Casada and Cothren didn’t testify in their own defense, nor did House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who has been cooperating with federal authorities. The defense raised questions in court documents about whether Sexton or someone in his office wore a wire to record conversations with lawmakers.
The FBI raided the homes of Cothren, Casada and Smith as well as Rep. Todd Warner and other offices on Jan. 8, 2021. A year and a half later, they indicted Casada, Smith and Cothren on a litany of kickback charges.
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a factual recount of a corruption trial involving former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his ex-aide Cade Cothren. It provides detailed information on the charges, the trial’s proceedings, and testimonies from multiple figures involved. The language used remains neutral and primarily descriptive, focusing on events and legal proceedings rather than promoting an ideological stance. The coverage leans toward a factual, investigative style, giving prominence to judicial actions and legal outcomes without apparent favoritism toward any political side. The article reflects neutral reporting on a significant political scandal in Tennessee, without leaning to the left or right.
SUMMARY: Fireworks for U.S. Fourth of July celebrations rely heavily on imports from China, which produces 99% of consumer and 90% of professional fireworks used in the country. The ongoing U.S.-China trade war and tariffs threaten to increase costs, creating uncertainty for small businesses and volunteer groups that fund local fireworks shows. Despite a temporary 90-day tariff pause, industry experts warn prices could soar, forcing show organizers to potentially shorten displays or substitute cheaper fireworks. Annual fundraising efforts, like those at Elephant Butte Lake State Park in New Mexico, remain crucial to maintaining traditions that celebrate national pride and community spirit.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-30 15:55:00
Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains in federal custody following a Monday ruling by Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes. Garcia faces federal human smuggling charges related to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop where he was caught driving an SUV with eight passengers, suspected of smuggling them for money. Garcia sought release, citing conflicting government statements about potential removal to a third country before trial. Holmes noted these conflicting positions and decided Garcia will stay detained until a July 16 hearing. He is to be held separately from other inmates and given private access to his defense counsel. Garcia was recently returned to the U.S. after deportation to El Salvador.
(The Center Square) – Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not getting out of jail for now.
The Monday ruling from federal Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes comes at the request of Garcia, who is facing federal charges of human smuggling. Garcia is concerned “based on purported conflicting statements by the government, specifically that it intends to remove Abrego to a third country upon his return to DHS custody following release in this case and that it would ensure Abrego is not removed before trial on the instant criminal charges,” Holmes said in the ruling.
Holmes previously said that Garcia should be released but acknowledged that he would likely remain in federal custody. In her ruling Monday, Holmes said she considered the “perceived conflicting positions taken by the government regarding whether it will deport Abrego pending final disposition of this case including the further review by the District Judge of the government’s request for pretrial detention.”
The ruling means Garcia will be held in federal custody until a July 16 hearing.
“He shall, to the extent practicable, be held separately from persons awaiting or serving sentences or being held in custody pending appeal and he shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity for private consultation with defense counsel,” Holmes said in her ruling.
Garcia was returned to the U.S. after being deported to El Salvador to stand trial on charges of “alien smuggling” and “conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.”
The smuggling charges stem from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. Garcia was driving an SUV with eight passengers. One of the officers believed that he was smuggling them, remarking in a video of the traffic stop that he was “hauling these people for money.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a straightforward report on the federal magistrate’s ruling regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s detention without promoting or endorsing any political viewpoint. The language used is factual and neutral, focusing on legal proceedings and specific court statements without commentary or emotionally charged phrasing. It describes the charges, court decisions, and events sequentially without framing the issue through a particular ideological lens. Thus, the content adheres to neutral, factual reporting rather than expressing or implying a political bias.
www.wkrn.com – TRAVIS LOLLER and BEN FINLEY, Associated Press – 2025-06-30 15:06:00
SUMMARY: Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains jailed in Tennessee amid concerns he could be deported before trial on human smuggling charges. His lawyers highlighted conflicting statements from the Trump administration about his immigration status, fearing immediate deportation despite pending charges. Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, violating a 2019 judge’s order due to credible gang threats. The administration returned him to face charges, which his attorneys call baseless. Although a judge ruled he is neither a flight risk nor a danger, concerns over ICE’s authority to deport him have delayed his release. A July hearing will reconsider his detention.
