Glen Casada Faces Federal Trial Amid Controversy in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Testimony continues in the federal public corruption trial of Glen Casada and Cade Cothren, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

As the former House Speaker and his aide arrived at the federal courthouse, their defense team argued that the case is a politically motivated attack orchestrated by current House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who succeeded Casada in 2019.

Republican State Rep. Todd Warner of Lewisburg, an ally of Cothren, claims the investigation appears to be a politically driven maneuver. “What my gut feeling is that he was looking for something or hoping the FBI would find something on Casada and Cothren,” Warner said. He further questioned the ethics of using federal resources for internal political disputes, comparing it to potential actions by former President Trump.

Casada, 65, and Cothren, 38, face a 20-count indictment for allegedly engaging in a bribery and kickback scheme tied to state-funded mailing services for GOP lawmakers. Prosecutors accuse them of leveraging their offices for personal gain while using deception to hide their criminal activities. If found guilty, both could face up to 20 years in prison.

State Rep. Jay Reedy testified that he would not have engaged with the mailing service, Phoenix Solutions, if he had known Cothren was involved, referencing Cothren’s previous involvement in a scandal related to racist and sexist messages.

Connie Ridley, a former legislative administrator, also testified about a tax document submitted by the company, which falsely listed Cothren as Matthew Phoenix. “If I had known that Mr. Cothren was the person behind Phoenix Solutions, I would not have approved them as a state vendor,” Ridley stated, citing a lack of confidence in Cothren’s judgment.

During cross-examination, Cothren’s attorney, Joy Boyd Longnecker, challenged Ridley’s authority regarding vendor approvals, to which Ridley confirmed that state representatives did not seek her permission to hire such vendors.

The trial, expected to last up to five weeks, will resume Monday.