NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The White House has confirmed that President Donald Trump granted full pardons to former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren, formally ending their federal corruption cases just weeks after sentencing.
A White House official told multiple news outlets that “President Trump has approved pardons for former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren.”
The clemency comes less than two months after Casada was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and Cothren to 30 months for their roles in a kickback scheme involving a shell company, Phoenix Solutions. Prosecutors said the pair used the firm to funnel state printing and mailing funds for personal gain. Both men had been free pending appeal.
Casada told WSMV earlier Thursday that President Trump personally called him to deliver the news. “Yes, the president called me today and granted me a full pardon,” he wrote in a text message. “I am grateful of his trust and his full confidence in my innocence through this whole ordeal.”
The case also involved former state Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty in 2022 and testified against Casada and Cothren. Smith was sentenced to eight months earlier this year and is reportedly seeking her own pardon.
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