NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s disgraced former Home Speaker Glen Casada and his prime aide have been arrested Tuesday on federal expenses together with bribery, kickbacks and conspiracy to commit cash laundering.
Their indictments comply with the abrupt resignation in March of Republican Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded responsible to federal wire fraud expenses involving Casada and his chief of employees, Cade Cothren. Hypothesis has swirled about what further expenses would possibly come within the corruption probe.
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 — often known as Phoenix Options, LLC — that hid their involvement.
“It was additional a part of the conspiracy for Casada and the opposite conspirator to counterpoint themselves by acquiring bribes and kickbacks from Cothren, in change for securing the approval of Phoenix Options as a mailer program vendor,” a Justice Division information launch mentioned.
FBI brokers arrested Casada and Cothren at their properties Tuesday morning. If convicted, they every resist 20 years in jail.
Home Speaker Cameron Sexton, who succeeded his fellow Republican within the management submit, was amongst a number of lawmakers and former or present staffers to testify in entrance of a grand jury in March. Sexton counseled the FBI on Tuesday, saying he’ll proceed helping within the investigation if a trial is required. Smith additionally promised to cooperate as a possible witness.
Revelations in regards to the case additionally prompted lawmakers to cross harder state marketing campaign finance and ethics necessities this 12 months.
“Immediately is an efficient day for Tennesseans as a result of we didn’t flip a blind eye on these prison actions,” Sexton mentioned.
Casada resigned as speaker in 2019 however held onto his seat after revelations that he and Cothren had exchanged sexually specific textual content messages about girls years earlier. He isn’t operating for reelection this 12 months. Cothren misplaced his legislative job within the texting scandal, however remained concerned in Republican politics.
FBI brokers searched the properties and workplaces of a number of state lawmakers in January 2021, together with these of Casada and Smith, and the house of Cothren.
The charging paperwork revealed Tuesday say Cothren launched Phoenix Options with Smith’s and Casada’s “data and assist” 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 made-up alias for Cothren, and Casada knew the title was fictitious, the paperwork allege.
The paperwork allege Smith emailed Cothren at one level saying he “could need to 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 textual content change confirmed Casada texted Cothren in late 2019 saying “I believe that is beginning off nicely I’m happy!” Cothren later cautioned that “we simply have to verify nobody is aware of it’s me concerned,” they mentioned.
When Casada raised considerations about lawmakers wanting “representatives from Phoenix” to make an in-person presentation, Cothren responded that they might remind lawmakers “they stay in New Mexico. Must get on the telephone for it and I might disguise my voice if I has (sic) to.”
Phoenix Options obtained roughly $52,000 from the state in funds related to the mailer program, in keeping with the charging paperwork.
In the meantime, Cothren continues to combat 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 U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. Rick Tillis misplaced to Republican Rep. Todd Warner, who was amongst these topic to the FBI searches in January 2021.
The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance determined to reopen its probe into the PAC after its treasurer testified 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 improper and that she took no additional motion.
Cothren has knowledgeable the registry that he’s invoking his Fifth Modification proper in opposition to self-incrimination and received’t 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. Casada opted to run for Williamson County clerk this 12 months as an alternative of his statehouse seat, and misplaced within the GOP main.
