Federal agents raided the homes and seized the phones of three vocal critics of House Speaker Cameron Sexton in connection with a”cyberstalking” investigation, documents show.
The search warrant targeted Cade Cothren, former chief of staff to former House Speaker Glen Casada, both of whom are set to go on trial in March on federal corruption charges. A judge handling the case ordered U.S. prosecutors Friday to explain the seizure. Cothren’s filing claims federal agents raided his Nashville home shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday and took four cellphones, using a search warrant in connection with a “cyberstalking” investigation.
The warrant also targeted Brian Manookian of Brentwood in Williamson County and Larry Grimes, according to documents. Manookian has been highly critical of House Speaker Cameron Sexton in online posts, accusing him of living in Nashville instead of Crossville where he claims to live and targeting his personal life. Grimes is a former Republican Executive Committee member believed to manage a social media account critical of Sexton.
Sexton has been cooperating with federal agents in their investigation of Cothren in a Capitol Hill corruption probe.