In a surprise development just a few days before their sentencing on federal corruption charges, Federal Judge Eli Richardson threw out three charges against former House Speaker Glen Casada and his ex-chief of staff Cade Cothren. The judge kept more than a dozen other convictions against the pair in place, according to news reports, including Nashville NewsChannel 5.
In a phone hearing Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Richardson determined prosecutors failed to prove that Casada and Cothren were guilty of public corruption by operating as agents of the government.
Casada remains convicted on 14 counts and Cothren on 16 counts after a jury found them guilty in May of fraud, bribery, theft, conspiracy and money laundering.
One fraud conviction alone comes with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Their attorneys had requested a new trial and acquittal just days before their Friday sentencing.
Richardson acquitted them of a count of fraudulently obtaining state property; Casada on a count of soliciting and receiving bribes from programs receiving federal money and Cothren abetting him; and one count of Cothren offering and giving bribes and kickbacks and Casada abetting him, according to the report.
Attorneys for Casada and Cothren requested a mistrial during the four-week proceeding in mid-April into May after prosecutors inadvertently played an unredacted recording of an FBI interview with Casada that incriminated Cothren.
Casada and Cothren were convicted by the jury of setting up a company called Phoenix Solutions that became a vendor in the state’s postage and printing program that provides House members $3,000 a year for constituent mailers. Casada and former Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty and testified against the pair, directed lawmakers’ business to Phoenix Solutions, which was secretly run by Cothren with the front name of “Matthew Phoenix,” in order to hide Cothren’s involvement. In her testimony, Smith, distinguished between the actions of Casada and Cothren, claiming Casada was largely unaware of the details of the scheme. She is still awaiting sentencing for her role.
During the trial, the pair argued that the state received exactly what they were contracting for, although the provider of the services was not truthfully disclosed.
Richardson was appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump during his first term.
Steve Gill is the editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.
