Former Tennessee House Speaker Casada Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison

Days after his former aide received prison time in the same case, former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, according to WKRN. Casada and his onetime chief of staff, Cade Cothren, were indicted in 2022 on charges of bribery and kickbacks tied to a fraudulent political consulting scheme. A federal jury convicted both men in May, and a request for a new trial was denied. Federal prosecutors said the scheme began in 2019, when Casada and Cothren used a firm called Phoenix Solutions to deceive lawmakers and state officials in order to obtain state funds. Cothren allegedly funneled kickbacks to Casada in exchange for legislative support and approval of invoices. Casada stepped down as House Speaker in 2019 amid a separate scandal. The FBI raided his and Cothren’s homes in January 2021. Casada’s 36-month sentence is six months longer than the term given to Cothren.