NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s former Home Speaker Glen Casada and his high aide have been arrested Tuesday on federal fees together with bribery, kickbacks and conspiracy to commit cash laundering.
Their indictments observe the abrupt March resignation of Republican Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded responsible to federal wire fraud fees involving Casada and his chief of employees, Cade Cothren. Underneath her plea deal, Smith promised to cooperate as a possible witness.
FBI brokers arrested Casada and Cothren on Tuesday at their houses. If convicted, they every withstand 20 years in jail. Each pleaded harmless Tuesday and obtained pretrial launch with journey restricted to the center district of Tennessee except in any other case accredited.
The 20-count charging doc alleges Casada and Cothren exploited their positions of energy by working with one other unnamed lawmaker to funnel cash to themselves utilizing a political consulting agency — referred to as Phoenix Options, LLC — to hide their involvement.
Cothren registered the agency in New Mexico as a result of the state permits nameless registration of LLCs, and rebuffed requests for in-person conferences with Casada’s fellow lawmakers, saying the corporate representatives have been out of state.
The trio deceived different Tennessee lawmakers in a conspiracy “to counterpoint themselves by acquiring bribes and kickbacks from Cothren, in trade for securing the approval of Phoenix Options as a mailer program vendor,” a Justice Division information launch mentioned.
Outdoors the courthouse afterward, Cothren’s legal professional, Cynthia Sherwood, informed reporters Cothren “appears very ahead to being vindicated.”
Cothren informed a reporter, “the reality will come out.”
Casada and his attorneys declined to reply reporters’ questions as they left.
The charging paperwork revealed Tuesday say Cothren launched Phoenix Options with Smith’s and Casada’s “data and help” to supply mail and consulting providers to lawmakers. All three claimed the agency was run by a “Matthew Phoenix” when in actual fact it was a alias for Cothren, and Casada knew the identify was fictitious, the paperwork allege.
The paperwork allege Smith emailed Cothren at one level saying he “could must assume the function of Matthew once more.” He replied saying, “Matthew, reporting for responsibility!” and included a GIF of “a salute from Harrison Ford’s character Han Solo within the film Star Wars,” officers mentioned.
Federal investigators mentioned a separate trade confirmed Casada texted Cothren in late 2019 saying “I feel that is beginning off nicely I am happy!” Cothren later cautioned that “we simply have to ensure nobody is aware of it is me concerned,” they mentioned.
When Casada raised issues about lawmakers wanting “representatives from Phoenix” to make an in-person presentation, Cothren responded that they’d remind lawmakers “they dwell in New Mexico. Must get on the telephone for it and I may disguise my voice if I [have] to.”
Phoenix Options obtained roughly $52,000 from the state in funds related to the mailer program, in response to the charging paperwork.
In the meantime, Cothren continues to struggle a subpoena over the state marketing campaign finance regulators’ investigation into the Religion Household Freedom Fund PAC.
Forward of the 2020 GOP main election, the political motion committee focused then-Rep. Rick Tillis, the brother of North Carolina US Mon. Thom Tillis. Rick Tillis misplaced to Republican Rep. Todd Warner, who was amongst these topics to the FBI searches in January 2021.
The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance determined to reopen its probe into the PAC after its treasurer examined in January that she is Cothren’s former girlfriend and opened the PAC as a result of Cothren requested her to. She mentioned Cothren assured her she was doing nothing incorrect and that she took no additional motion.
Cothren has knowledgeable the registry that he’s invoking his Fifth Modification proper towards self-incrimination and will not abide by its subpoena. The registry handed the case off to state prosecutors. The state has sued over Cothren’s refusal.
Casada additionally was subpoenaed, and informed the registry he wasn’t concerned with the PAC.