Responding to guilty verdicts in Tennessee’s political corruption trial, House Republicans are lauding Speaker Cameron Sexton for alerting federal authorities to a secret political vendor and cooperating with them to get a conviction.
The House Republican Caucus released a statement immediately after the case’s outcome saying the guilty verdict for former Speaker Glen Casada and his ex-aide Cade Cothren “reaffirms the principle that public office is a sacred trust, not a license for personal gain or abuse of power.”
The jury found Casada guilty on 17 of 19 counts of fraud, kickbacks, bribery, money laundering and conspiracy and Cothren guilty on all 19 counts. Former Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, pleaded guilty in the case and testified against the pair.
The caucus said it appreciates Sexton’s leadership as he was “instrumental in uncovering illegal activity by two former members and providing critical facts to federal authorities.”
The statement adds that Sexton’s “commitment to integrity in state government reflects the standards to which all public officials should be held.”