US Edition
Jury Convicts Ex-Tennessee House Speaker and His Aide in Legislative Mail Scheme
- A federal jury convicted former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, on public corruption charges in May 2025 in Tennessee.
- They faced indictment in August 2022 for a bribery and kickback scheme tied to securing taxpayer-funded mail services for House Republicans called Phoenix Solutions.
- During the trial, cooperating witness Robin Smith described efforts to conceal Phoenix Solutions' true backers to avoid scrutiny after scandals led Casada and Cothren to resign in 2019.
- In the public corruption trial, former House Speaker Glen Casada was convicted on 17 out of 19 charges, while Cade Cothren, his chief of staff, was found guilty on every count; evidence included unredacted FBI interviews and testimony revealing their exploitation of elected positions for personal gain.
- The convictions underscore ongoing consequences from the 2019 scandals involving explicit texts and drug use, suggesting persistent corruption risks despite leadership changes such as Cameron Sexton's assistance to authorities.
65 Articles
65 Articles
The Center Square
Casada, Cothren convicted on long list of charges related to kickback scheme
(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
Tennessee State House GOP Says Guilty Verdict in Casada Fraud Trial Demonstrates 'Commitment to Integrity' by Speaker Cameron Sexton - Tennessee Star
The Tennessee House Republican Caucus in the General Assembly released a statement which said the Friday guilty verdict handed to former House Speaker Glen Casada, and his former aide Cade Cothren, "reaffirms the principle that public office is a sacred trust, not a license for personal gain or abuse of power." Casada and Cothren were convicted on Friday on 17 counts in the trial over their role in the Phoenix Solutions business which prosecutor…
Former TN House Speaker Glen Casada, aide Cade Cothren found guilty of corruption, face 20 years in prison
A four-year investigation and prosecution that swept up some of the biggest names in Tennessee politics ended May 16 as a federal jury found former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada guilty along with his former chief of staff Cade Cothren.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
