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President Donald Trump has pardoned former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his ex–chief of staff Cade Cothren, who were convicted last year on federal corruption charges tied to a scheme involving a fake political consulting firm.
Casada, a Republican who once led the Tennessee House, was sentenced in September to 36 months in prison after being convicted on 17 counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Cothren received a shorter sentence.
“Yes, the president called me today and granted me a full pardon,” Casada told NBC affiliate WSMV in Nashville. “I am grateful for his trust and his full confidence in my innocence through this whole ordeal.”
White House defends move, blames ‘over-prosecution’
In a statement, a White House official confirmed the pardons and sharply criticized the Biden Justice Department, calling its case “a dramatic overreach.”
“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 official said.
The statement continued: “The Biden DOJ responded with an armed raid, perp walk, and suggested sentences exceeding 10 years — penalties normally reserved for multimillion-dollar fraudsters.”
Case originated during Trump’s first term
Despite the White House’s framing, the investigation into Casada and Cothren began in early 2021, while Trump was still in office. Federal agents raided their homes that January, and the judge who sentenced them was a Trump appointee.
Prosecutors said the two men created a fictitious consulting company called Phoenix Solutions, which secretly funneled state funds and campaign payments to themselves. The firm was presented as a legitimate vendor — allegedly run by a non-existent consultant named “Matthew Phoenix.”
The scheme included a $52,000 mailer program billed to Tennessee lawmakers, which prosecutors said amounted to fraud on both taxpayers and campaign donors.
Casada resigned as House speaker in 2019 following a no-confidence vote by fellow Republicans amid a separate scandal over sexually explicit text messages exchanged with Cothren. He apologized for the texts, saying, “That is not the person I am.”
Part of broader wave of political pardons
The Casada and Cothren pardons continue Trump’s pattern of granting clemency to political allies and controversial figures, including:
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Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat convicted of corruption;
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Former Tennessee GOP state Sen. Brian Kelsey, convicted of campaign finance violations;
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Former Las Vegas City Councilmember Michele Fiore, a Republican convicted of fraud; and
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Former Rep. George Santos, whose prison sentence Trump commuted earlier this year.
Casada’s attorney said the former speaker was “relieved and vindicated.” Federal prosecutors have not yet commented on the pardon.
