Former Tennessee House speaker sentenced in fraud trial

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Days after the sentencing of his top aide in the same fraud case, former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison.

A federal grand jury indicted Casada, 66, and former aide Cade Cothren, 38, for alleged involvement in a bribery and kickback conspiracy related to a money-making scheme involving political matters in 2022. In May, a jury found them both guilty

in connection with the scheme, and though a new trial was requested, it was not granted.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the scheme began in 2019 when Casada, Cothren and other conspirators deceived their former colleagues and state officials in an effort to obtain funding for Phoenix Solutions, Cothren’s political consulting business that he established with support from Casada.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the scheme was concealed by routing payments from the state through Casada’s personal consulting company to accounts controlled by Cothren before Cothren kicked back a portion of the profits to Casada and other conspirators. Casada’s personal consulting company, Right Way Consulting, did not exist until Jan. 2020 — when the DOJ said he created it to received “fraudulently induced payments from the State.”

The DOJ added that conspirators utilized early success to gain “much more lucrative” campaign and caucus work. In all, Phoenix Solutions received about $159,496.48 in revenue from that campaign and caucus work.

Casada resigned from his role as House speaker amid a scandal in his office in 2019, and both his and Cothren’s homes were raided by the FBI in January 2021. He’s been convicted of 14 counts, including conspiracy, honest services fraud and money laundering.

On Tuesday, Casada’s attorney told News 2 that he was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison — six months longer than Cothren’s sentence. Additionally, Casada has also been ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and forfeit $4,643.60 in proceeds. Following the terms of his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for one year.

“The defendants abused their power as government officials and defrauded taxpayers for their own enrichment,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said. “The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who betray public trust and steal from government coffers in order to line their own pockets.”

“Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs,” Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Robert E. McGuire, said. “This prosecution, and the sentences ordered today, show our office’s steadfast commitment to seek justice on behalf of our community in cases involving public corruption and fraud. We believe that Tennesseans deserve no less.”