Opening on Tuesday, he and former aide Cade Cothren face multiple federal charges and an array of legislators are set to testify.
***Note from The Tennessee Conservative – this article republished here for informational purposed only.***
Image Credit: Eric England / Nashville Scene
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By Connor Daryani, Nashville Banner [Creative Commons ] –
The trial of former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his chief of staff, Cade Cothren, begins on Tuesday.
Despite the duo’s best efforts, it appears that the trial finally will take place this time, after being delayed four times since federal agents arrived at Casada and Cothren’s doors in August 2022. And while 20 counts of money laundering, bribery, wire fraud, and theft are interesting, much of the buzz around the Capitol surrounds the long list of active Republican lawmakers and operatives who could be called to testify, with the government’s court filings showing plans for approximately 15 witnesses.
The federal government alleges Cothren and Casada established the mailer company, Phoenix Solutions, with Cothren running the company under the alias Matthew Phoenix. The company was allegedly established after Cothren’s departure from his role on the Speaker’s staff as a way to continue paying him.
“Many of these witnesses will be State of Tennessee officials,” reads the government’s trial brief, including the then-director of the office of legislative affairs, Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton and “state legislators and other state officials” who will “testify that they were deceived by the conspirators regarding the operations of Phoenix Solutions.”
Casada — along with former Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty and will be testifying at the trial — allegedly pressured other state House representatives to use Phoenix Solutions to purchase mailers, for which each House member receives a yearly $3,000 stipend. In return, Smith and Casada allegedly received kickbacks from Cothren.
The federal indictments followed a long string of controversies surrounding Cothren and Casada and ultimately led to their downfall. Casada’s stint as Speaker of the House was short-lived, one session in 2019 before he resigned due to pressure from the House Republican Caucus and Gov. Bill Lee. While leaked racist and misogynistic texts between the two were what triggered their resignations, the lead up included a representative alleging that Casada attempted to bribe him for his vote on a school voucher bill, Cothren admitting to using cocaine in his office, and allegations of bribery, bugging the state office building and overuse of the state plane swirling around Casada.
While the government has not released a complete list of everyone it plans to call to the stand, the cast of characters is expected to include some of the state Republican party’s top members. Here’s a rundown of everyone who could be involved, and the part they might play in the weeks to come.
Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton
In the government’s trial brief, it states that the Speaker of the House will testify “about the requirements of the Postage and Printing Allowance,” so it’s unclear whether there is much to gain from Sexton beyond that. He is the most anticipated witness.
Sexton has previously confirmed that he assisted the prosecutors as a witness. Some of the government’s case depends on three confidential witnesses, and Judge Eli Richardson ruled that prosecutors do not have to reveal who those were. Still, Casada and Cothren have alleged in court filings that Sexton may have been one.
In March, lawyers for Casada alleged that the prosecutors in the case possess information that would damage Sexton’s credibility if released, specifically information proving that Sexton was in communication with the FBI prior to the establishment of Phoenix Solutions.
Cothren has also claimed that he helped Sexton win the race for Speaker of the House in 2019 following Casada’s departure.
House Majority Leader William Lamberth
Lamberth was reportedly subpoenaed as a witness in January.
He took over the role of House Majority Leader after Casada’s ascension to speaker. It is unclear what exactly Lamberth will testify about.
Representative Todd Warner
Warner, who has continued to do business with Dixieland Strategies — another Cothren-run company — was vocal in February about finding it “disturbing” that GOP members might have been wearing wires, calling it a “tactic the Democrats would pull.”
Warner’s house was also raided in 2021, along with the raids on Casada, Cothren, and Smith.
Michael Lotfi
Lofti resigned a couple of weeks after Cothren but before Casda. Lofti is a political operative who was put on state payroll by Casada for unclear reasons. He runs a political consultancy called Red Ivory Strategies, which was paid $123,000 by Casada’s PAC.
Former Representative Robin Smith
Smith was the first to be indicted in connection with the Phoenix Solutions scheme. She pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud in March 2022 and has been cooperating with the prosecution since then. She is set to be sentenced following the trial.
Holt Whitt
Whitt, the assistant commissioner for legislative affairs, will likely be a witness in the trial. Prior to joining the governor’s staff, Whitt was placed on leave from his role as interim Chief of Staff in Sexton’s office when FBI agents raided the Cordell Hull office building in connection with Casada and Cothren’s indictment.
