NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A star witness for the prosecution in the public corruption trial for former House Speaker Glen Casada and aide Cade Cothren told the jury on Tuesday the lengths the trio went to mask a mail vendor company for state lawmakers.
Key testimony
Former State Rep. Robin Smith was the third collaborator, along with Casada and Cothren, on their scheme to do mail work for legislators. Only Smith took a plea deal and is helping the prosecution.
Casada, 65, and Cothren, 38, are charged in a 20-count indictment that accuses them of engaging in a bribery and kickback scheme in conjunction with a deal to provide state-funded constituent mailing services for members of the House Republican Caucus.
Smith told the jury about how they extensively tried to hide Casada and Cothren’s involvement in Phoenix Solutions, including using a fake name for Cothren: Matthew Phoenix.
Why all the secrecy?
At the time, Casada and Cothren still had “radioactive reputations” after a texting scandal, first uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
The prosecution revealed their desire to hide their involvement, which also included lying on their Tennessee Ethics Commission forms. Casada and Smith did not disclose they made money off of Phoenix Solutions as a part of their income while they were state lawmakers.
Smith shared how she also used her influence as a committee chair and sitting lawmaker to speed up getting paid by the state.
"I had inside access. I made sure she (as in Connie Ridley, who handled state contracts) remembered I was a chairman," Smith said.
Profit sharing
We also got a better idea of how the trio split their profits.
Smith showed emails she received from Cothren, showing how Cothren would receive 30% of the profits on the mailers. Casada and Smith would each receive 25% and 20% would remain in the company.
At the time of that email in April 2020, Phoenix Solutions had made about $16,000. The defense has long contended all of this money was honestly made and shouldn’t be considered a kickback.
Another fake profile
Then there was this bombshell. In addition to Cothren running a fake personality, Matthew Phoenix, there was a second fake employee named Candace McKay, who was supposedly an accountant.
Her email was run by a former girlfriend of Cothren’s who went by a different name.
Smith testified that McKay's persona was created to institute a paper trail that they could send to state officials showing a delay in their official payments.
Recorded call
The jury also heard a recorded phone call between Rep. Ron Gant and former Rep. Smith where she gave more elaborate lies about the backstory of Phoenix Solutions. Smith told Gant Phoenix Solutions was created by two former consultants of a D.C. firm that did work for President Donald Trump but got tired of living in D.C. and moved to New Mexico to open their own shop.
Slow pace
The jury spent most of Tuesday morning out of the chamber as the judge and attorneys discussed several procedural questions. Those have bogged down the pace of the trial over the last several days.
It led Judge Eli Richardson to even say "at this rate, we could be here all year.” He later clarified he was only half kidding. Thankfully, the pace dramatically improved Tuesday afternoon.
What's next
Wednesday, Rep. Robin Smith will continue with cross-examination from Casada and Cothren's attorneys. The next high profile witness is expected to be current Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton. We may not get to that point until later this week.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at chris.davis@newschannel5.com.
My friend and colleague Carrie Sharp had a lot of fun last week, on an adventure to a country more than three thousand miles away! She’s back now – sharing her Adventures in Iceland through stories, and incredible images of this remarkably beautiful and unique island nation (kudos to Chief Photographer Catherine Steward)! But did you know Nashville has something very important in common with Iceland? Tourism! Here, Carrie explains how a volcanic eruption decades ago helped save the country’s economy from collapse!
-Rhori Johnston
