NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The legal proceedings against a former Tennessee House speaker and his ex-chief of staff commenced Thursday with their defense team asserting that the men acted lawfully. The case involves allegations against ex-Republican Representative Glen Casada and his former assistant Cade Cothren, who supposedly misused public funds for political mailings, disguising Cothren’s involvement after they had been pressured out of their positions due to an earlier political scandal.
In the court filings, it is mentioned that Cothren operated under the pseudonym Matthew Phoenix to initiate Phoenix Solutions, a company offering mailing and consulting services to state legislators. He registered this company in New Mexico, a state that permits anonymous LLC registrations, and resisted requests for face-to-face meetings. Both Casada and another former state legislator, Robin Smith, who has agreed to a plea deal, advocated for the company and its fictitious proprietor.
During the opening statements at the federal courthouse in Nashville, Cothren’s attorney, Joy Longnecker, acknowledged that her client employed the fake alias for business transactions, according to local reports. She contended that it was a necessary step due to the adverse media attention surrounding Cothren. “Cade may be a sinner, but he’s not a criminal,” she defended.
Meanwhile, Ed Yarbrough, representing Casada, argued that the entire probe had political undertones, orchestrated by the current Speaker of the House, Cameron Sexton. He described the situation as a “political battle between rivals.”