NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Tennessee Home speaker and his onetime chief of workers in a scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail enterprise from state lawmakers even after scandals drove the 2 out of political energy.
Former Republican Rep. Glen Casada was discovered responsible of all 19 prices, whereas his then-chief of workers, Cade Cothren, was discovered responsible of 17 of 19 prices in a public corruption trial that started in late April.
The present Home speaker, Cameron Sexton, helped authorities within the case in opposition to his predecessor since taking the job in 2019, he has stated. Sexton was among the many lawmakers and staffers who testified to the grand jury.
However Sexton was noticeably absent as a witness after prosecutors stated they deliberate for him to testify. The protection sought to attract consideration to a political rivalry between Casada and Sexton. In the end, the protection declined to name any witnesses. Neither Casada nor Cothren testified. And protection makes an attempt to debate in entrance of jurors whether or not Sexton wore a wire have been shut down by the decide.
Casada resigned as Home speaker in August 2019 after a no-confidence vote from fellow Home Republicans as a consequence of swirling scandals, together with revelations he exchanged sexually specific textual content messages about ladies years in the past with Cothren. Not lengthy earlier than that, Cothren additionally left his publish over these texts and racist texts, coupled with an admission he used cocaine inside a legislative workplace constructing when he held a earlier job.
The legal prices middle on a time after the pair’s political freefall, whereas Casada was nonetheless a sitting lawmaker. The fees declare Cothren launched Phoenix Options with Smith’s and Casada’s data and assist. The trio claimed the agency was run by a “Matthew Phoenix,” as Phoenix Options and firms managed by Casada and then-Rep. Robin Smith obtained roughly $52,000 in 2020 from the state in funds related to the taxpayer-funded mailer program for lawmakers. A “Matthew Phoenix” signature ended up on an IRS tax doc.
Casada and Cothren have been indicted in August 2022 after Smith resigned and pleaded responsible to 1 cost within the Phoenix Options scheme. Smith testified for prosecutors for a number of days.
Protection attorneys famous the state received the mailings it paid for. They tried to color Smith as untrustworthy and pushed by hopes for a lenient sentence beneath her plea deal.
Smith testified that the purpose was to maintain the present Home speaker, the legislative administration director and the general public unaware of who was behind Phoenix Options as a result of “radioactive” scandal that pushed Casada and Cothren out of energy. The taxpayer-funded mailings for Home Republicans have been a manner in to broaden later to marketing campaign work, she stated.
Smith instructed fellow lawmakers that Phoenix Options was run by professionals with a outstanding political consulting agency who have been uninterested in doing Washington-related work. Matthew Phoenix’s affiliate, Candice, was portrayed by Casada’s then-girlfriend, prosecutors stated.
In a recorded name performed for jurors, a fellow Republican, Rep. Ron Gant, feigned curiosity in turning into a consumer and spurred Smith to repeat lies about Phoenix Options. Smith stated she didn’t know she was being recorded.
In January 2021, FBI brokers searched the houses, legislative workplaces, or each, of Casada, Cothren, Smith and different statehouse figures. Smith left a voicemail together with her legal professional once they arrived. However by the point the legal professional known as again to inform her to not speak, she had already lied in regards to the scheme to brokers, Smith testified.
The trial’s destiny turned shaky when prosecutors did not redact a portion of the FBI’s interview with Casada that was then performed for the jury. However the decide dominated in opposition to a protection movement for a mistrial, saying there was different proof that echoed Casada’s mistakenly unredacted feedback — that Sexton would have rejected using Phoenix Options if he knew Cothren was concerned.
Casada remained a state consultant till 2022, when he didn’t search reelection.
