The former legislature testifies to Cothrene that the CASADA call is “radioactive” after scandal

The case of the corruption of the federal government of a former spokesman for the Tenessee House and his unique top adjutant continued until his fifth day, of repeated defense and lengthy private conferences between the judge's lawyers.

The trial increased on April 28 with the appearance of former MP Robin Smith, R-Hixson, who resigned from the General Assembly in 2022 before quickly encountering a plea with prosecutors.

Smith admitted to composing himself with the former house spokesman Glen Casada, R-Franklin, and his former chief of staff Cade Cotren in order to found a political consulting firm under false advances to use a state-financed account to pay for communication and mailer constituent.

Smith called it “low -hanging” fruits for the trio that endeavored to get the company out of the ground at the end of 2019.

Casada had resigned from the speaker under a cloud of scandal, which terminated with Cothren in connection with his highly paid legislative job after a racist and sexist SMS scandal.

Smith told the jury that she was tapped to “escalate the lies and to hide her identity” when the trio agreed to seek legislative business as a Phoenix Solutions by taxpayer, a company that developed during the use of aka Matthew Phoenix.

Smith said she had to hide Cothren's identity and protect Casada's participation in Phoenix solutions due to the latest scandal.

“It was understood that I was the only one without a radioactive halo around me by a scandal,” said Smith.

The prosecutors argue that Cothrene, Casada and Smith have conspired to use an allowance of 3,000 US dollars that sent the legislators to the postal materials after Casada left his position as a house spokesman. Both Casada and Smith already had their own political advisory companies that did similar work, but the trio still agreed to accommodate the Phoenix solutions of almost 51,947 US dollars and to charge the legislature by 2020.

The defense has argued that the case is the political retribution by the current house spokesman Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and the political consulting firm was nothing more than “business as usual on the hill”.

Sexton previously said that in that case he worked with the authorities. He could be called as a witness in the process.

So far, the state MP Jay Reedy, R-Inin, has testified together with a former GOP-Caucus adjutant and the long-time director of the Office for Legislative Affairs, which acts as the legislator's personnel and tax office.

Connie Ridley, the former Ola director, announced in the first test week that she had become Phoenix solutions suspicious after submitting early invoices and had not submitted any timely documents for payment of the payment. Smith also pressed Ridley behind the scenes of the payment problems that Ridley said she found unusual.

Matthew Phoenix, who, according to the public prosecutor, was really Cothrene, later submitted a signed W-9 form.

Ridley testified that she had not approved Phoenix as a seller if she knew about Cothren's participation and questioned his judgment based on the scandal, which led to resignation. The defenders tried to create the basis that Ridley had no power to block Phoenix from the company before operating, even if Cothren was transparent about his commitment.

Ridley also said that she later found out about an investigation by the Ministry of Justice, but it was recommended to continue payments for Phoenix solutions.

This article originally appeared in Nashville Tennessean: Casada Trial: Smith testifies to the 'radioactive' call from Casada