NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – President Donald Trump has pardoned the disgraced former Speaker of the Tennessee House, Glen Casada, and one of his co-conspirators after their corruption convictions and sentencing.
Casada confirmed the pair were pardoned on Thursday.
The former speaker was sentenced in September to 36 months in federal prison on wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and using fake names to carry out a fraud and money laundering charges earlier.
He was sentenced alongside his former Chief of Staff, Cade Cothren, who was set to serve nearly three years behind bars.
Here are instructions on how to watch WSMV4 live on various platforms.
A White House official shared this statement on background with WSMV on Casada and Cothren’s pardons:
“President Trump has approved pardons for former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren. The Biden Department of Justice significantly over-prosecuted these individuals for a minor issue involving constituent mailers — which were billed at competitive prices, never received a complaint from legislators, and resulted in a net profit loss of less than $5,000. The Biden DOJ responded with an armed raid, perp walk, and suggested sentences exceeding 10 years – penalties normally reserved for multimillion dollar fraudsters.”
The pair were indicted in 2022, two years after more than $51,000 in state constituent mail payments were funneled to Cothren through Phoenix Solutions, with Casada and Cothren getting more than $35,000 in bribes and kickbacks, according to the government’s case.
The news comes just a day after his other co-conspirator, former Rep. Robin Smith, publicly requested a presidential pardon. Smith took a plea deal for her part in the scheme.
During Casada and Cothren’s trials, prosecutors accused the pair of being “powerful politicians who abuse their positions to line their pockets.” During the former chief of staff’s sentencing, the judge admonished Cothren, saying his actions fuel distrust in the government.
WSMV is also working to learn if former Rep. Robin Smith is also being pardoned for her role in the corruption case.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
