Lawmakers fill government witness list in former House speaker trial

Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, center, walks to the Fred D. Thompson Federal Courthouse on April 22 for the start of his trial on corruption charges, accompanied by his wife and attorney Ed Yarbrough. (Photo: John Partipilo)

More than a dozen current and former lawmakers could be called to testify in the corruption trial of former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada, who rejected a plea deal in the case, and ex-chief of staff Cade Cothren, federal prosecutors revealed at Tuesday’s trial opening. 

Current House Speaker Cameron Sexton of Crossville tops the list of potential witnesses, along with House Republican Whip Johnny Garrett of Goodlettsville. 

Sexton confirmed early in the investigation that he has been cooperating with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office. In March, the defense team alleged the government was withholding information about the identity of people who secretly gathered information and that Sexton wore a wire to record conversations between him, Casada and Cothren.

Other House Republicans on the list of witnesses who could be called are Reps. Justin Lafferty of Knoxville, Jay Reedy of Erin, Jason Zachary of Knoxville, Dennis Powers of LaFollette, Scott Cepicky of Culleoka, Tim Rudd and Charlie Baum of Murfreesboro and Esther Helton-Haynes of East Ridge. 

Casada and Cothren were indicted in August 2022 on 20 counts of conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, bribery and kickbacks after funneling contracts for political consulting services for House members to a company founded by Cothren called Phoenix Solutions. 

Former Chattanooga Rep. Robin Smith, whose home and office were raided by the FBI in 2021 — along with those of Casada and several other lawmakers — pleaded guilty to charges in the case and is expected to testify after agreeing to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

Casada turned down plea deal

Most of Tuesday was devoted to jury selection, but U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson asked Casada about his understanding of a plea deal offering from the U.S. Attorney’s office. 

“Did (Casada’s attorneys) communicate they received a plea offer from the government?” Richardson asked Casada. 

The former House speaker said he was aware of the deal offering and declined to accept it. No mention was made of a similar plea offer to Cothren.

Prosecutors say Casada and former Rep. Smith knew Cothren was operating the firm under the alias “Matthew Phoenix” but withheld that information from state lawmakers and – in return for kickbacks – directed them to enlist the bogus firm to provide direct mail services. 

Cothren resigned from Casada’s office following 2019 media reports of his involvement in a racist and sexist texting scandal. Casada later stepped down as House Speaker — his eight months in the position marked the shortest tenure for a Tennessee Speaker of the House — after a ‘no confidence’ vote from members of the House Republican Caucus. 

Richardson clarified with both sets of lawyers the need to conceal Cothren’s identity stemmed from the scandal, which enveloped Casada’s speakership and led to his resignation along with complaints about heavy-handed management. 

“The witnesses wouldn’t have done business if they’d known” Cothren was behind the firm, said Taylor Phillips, assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

“What (House members) cared about was that it was Cade Cothren who was the subject of this enormous scandal,” Phillips said.

Cynthia Sherwood, attorney for Cothren, said Casada and Smith were the driving forces behind the firm’s ability to secure business from elected officials. 

“None of these witnesses did business with Phoenix Solutions,” Sherwood said. “They hired Robin Smith, they hired Glen Casada because they were friends.”

Opening arguments in the case are expected to begin Wednesday after jury selection is concluded.