Lawyers for former Tennessee House Speaker: feds have evidence to discredit witnesses

by J. Holly McCall and Anita Wadhwani, Tennessee Lookout
March 14, 2025

Attorneys for former House Speaker Glen Casada and his onetime aide have alleged prosecutors failed to turn over evidence that could cast doubt on the credibility of key witnesses in the corruption charges against them – among them current House Speaker Cameron Sexton.

Casada and Cade Cothren, Casada’s former chief of staff, are due to stand trial April 22 on federal bribery and kickback charges.

A pre-trial motion filed Thursday asks U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson to compel federal prosecutors to disclose information in their possession about Sexton and Connie Ridley, the now retired director of legislative administration. Both are expected to serve as witnesses for the prosecution.

“Counsel reasonably believes that the prosecution possesses materials and information that significantly undermine the credibility of these witnesses,” the motion said. “The materials likely include investigative reports or memorandum, witness interview notes, and otherwise.”

The legal filing acknowledged that prosecutors have turned over some information about Sexton, citing a March 4 disclosure from prosecutors. That information is not publicly available and prosecutors had no comment.

The disclosure “confirmed that Sexton was actively engaged with and communicating with the FBI prior to Phoenix Solutions,” the defenses’ motion said. The motion cited Twitter, now renamed X, and news articles about Sexton to support their claim that prosecutors may be withholding information.

Cade Cothren claims he helped Cameron Sexton win TN speaker’s race before indictment

Phoenix Solutions was a campaign consulting firm that prosecutors alleged was secretly operated by Cothren. Casada directed business to Cothren from Republican House members, prosecutors alleged.

Sexton has been open about his cooperation with the FBI, but Thursday’s filing is the first notice the House Speaker was allegedly working with the federal government prior to Phoenix’s creation. 

A spokesman for Sexton referred to a 2021 statement, which said Sexton was cooperating with federal authorities.

Casada and Cothren were indicted in 2022 on charges of bribery, kickbacks and conspiracy to commit money laundering for their role in Phoenix Solutions.

Phoenix Solutions registered as a limited liability corporation in Santa Fe, New Mexico in December 2019, less than six months after Casada stepped down as speaker following a ‘no confidence’ vote by members of the Republican caucus. Sexton was subsequently elected as House Speaker.

The vendor received more than $202,000 in payments from House Republicans. FBI agents raided offices in the Cordell Hull Legislative Building and the homes of three lawmakers — including Casada’s — in January 2021.

Since the pair’s indictment, Cothren has claimed his reputation was so tarnished once he was fired amid a racist and sexist texting scandal that involved Casada that he set up Phoenix Solutions and operated it under the name “Matthew Phoenix,” believing it to be the only way he could obtain work from the GOP Caucus. In 2023, Cothren filed a request to subpoena subpoena records from Verizon Communications and Confide Inc., an encrypted message service, to show communications between him and Sexton during 2019 and 2020. Cothren claimed he helped Sexton win the 2019 speaker’s race.

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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.

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