State Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, has called for Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada to resign.
NASHVILLE - While state Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, has called on embattled Republican House Speaker Glen Casada to resign amid a text messaging scandal, another Hamilton County legislator, Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, is willing to consider other actions, including a no-confidence or a formal censure of the Williamson County Republican.
And that's not the only difference between the two lawmakers, both of whom serve on the Ethics Committee, regarding Casada, who faces a vote of no confidence Monday from the 73-member GOP Caucus.
In interviews with and statements to the Times Free Press last week, the lawmakers described different experiences when they separately met last Monday with Deputy Speaker Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, the panel's chairman.
That was on a proposed draft ethics opinion discussed by Hill and two staff attorneys with them, as well as two Democrats earlier. The opinion was sought by Casada.
Carter charged in a statement made first to the Times Free Press and later sent as a letter to the 73-member GOP Caucus that he perceived the draft as an effort by Casada to "rig and predetermine" the final report of the misogynistic and racist text messaging scandal involving the speaker and a former top aide.
It sought to exonerate Casada, said Carter, an attorney and former judge, telling a reporter he couldn't divulge exact details based on confidentiality provisions in the ethics panel's procedures.
In his statement, Carter said he would sign the draft if Casada swore under oath "the facts stated were true and correct." After being refused, Carter said, he told the attorneys he would sign it if he could add a provision stating the facts "appear to be divergent from facts in the public record." He said he was told he could do that, but a later full Ethics Committee hearing was cancelled.
Carter later said he wasn't faulting Hill.
Robin Smith is a Republican candidate for House District 26
Smith also said she couldn't discuss specifics but described being presented with two documents, one which represented the draft opinion and the other what she described as "I guess" the speaker's account.
"At no time was it ever presented to me as a document that needed to be signed at the moment," she said. "Instead, I read over it; I was offered the opportunity to add any edits that I saw that were missing or any concerns" that would be addressed when the full committee met.
Casada has publicly stated he was seeking the opinion "concerning my actions taken relative to the resignation" of his former chief of staff Cade Cothren, who resigned May 6 amid a furor over leaked lewd and racist texts in a group-text chain between himself, Casada and an unidentified man said to be a former political consultant.
After initially questioning the texts' authenticity, he acknowledged responding to three of the sexually oriented texts and apologized. He did not respond to the racist text, according to news accounts.
The GOP Caucus this afternoon is considering a no-confidence motion on Casada.
Smith, a former Tennessee Republican Party chairwoman, said she would consider anything that came before the caucus.
Asked about a censure motion some believe will be offered, Smith said she is not an attorney, judge or a master of law, but a censure "is the strongest disapproval that can be formally assigned."
In a separate interview, Carter charged Casada "is trying to get the members to agree to censure him as his only punishment."
Smith said the "behaviors portrayed in those texts were absolutely inappropriate" and even "horrifying," adding that "objectifying a woman or another human" regarding race "is always wrong."
"Those happened between the former chief of staff and a third person identified as a disgruntled" person she described as a former political worker.
Noting she has done political consulting work for the Republican Caucus in the past, Smith said, "I never saw this kind of behavior from our speaker, ever. Never experienced it, never saw it third-hand."
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.
Casada controversies
- Embattled Tennessee speaker Glen Casada resigns from leadership role
- Gov. Lee says he knows nothing of alleged Casada bribe to break school voucher vote deadlock
- Tennessee House Republican Caucus Chairman Cameron Sexton nominated by GOP lawmakers to be next speaker
- Casada denies offering National Guard promotion, pork barrel projects to win votes on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's school voucher bill
- Embattled House Speaker Glen Casada says he can't afford alimony
- Tennessee House GOP candidates for speaker vow not to follow Casada's style
- Democrats call on Tennessee Comptroller, Nashville DA to investigate Speaker Casada spending, hires
- Gov. Lee calls for August special legislative session to replace House Speaker Glen Casada
- Tennessee House GOP to meet July 24 to nominate replacement for Speaker Casada
- Gov. Lee to call Tennessee lawmakers into August special session to replace Speaker Casada
- House Democratic Caucus chairman says Speaker Casada's 'cronies' hope to retain power with special session
- Hamilton County lawmakers want House Speaker Casada to go sooner, not later
- Critics decry 'disgraced' House Speaker Casada's ability to name appointees to new sports gaming advisory, judicial discipline panels
- Rep. Curtis Johnson announces bid for Tennessee House speaker, pledges to 'restore credibility, trustworthiness'
- Vanderbilt poll: Voters across political spectrum say Glen Casada should step down from House speakership
- Casada, Carter trade barbs over Tennessee House speaker's resignation, replacement
- Embattled Tennessee House Speaker Casada announces Aug. 2 resignation, asks Gov. Lee to call special session on replacement
- Rep. Smith hopes to gain support from fellow freshmen in potential Tennessee House speaker bid
- Post-Casada job requirement: Ability to restore public trust
- Rep. Robin Smith on House speaker bid: 'I'm not saying I would never run, but at this time, I'm watching'
- Chattanooga area lawmakers share thoughts on GOP Caucus' no-confidence vote on Casada
- Timeline: The rise and fall of Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada
- Rep. Carter pledges 'clean break' as he announces bid to replace Casada as Tennessee House speaker
- Rep. Carter preparing petition to remove Casada as General Assembly member, not just as House speaker
- Tennessee Republican House Speaker Glen Casada announces his resignation
- Gov. Lee calls on House Speaker Glen Casada to resign or face special session
- Tennessee House GOP hits embattled Speaker Glen Casada with no-confidence vote
- Reps. Carter, Smith offer different takes on embattled Tennessee House Speaker Casada
- Embattled House Speaker Casada faces 'no confidence' vote today in GOP Caucus but supporters may offer censure motion
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada attacks Mike Carter over criticisms
- Former top aide for Tennessee's embattled House speaker to stay on payroll until July
- Rep. Carter: If ethics panel is not 'above rank political maneuvering and conniving then we as a body are lost'
- Ethics Committee member Mike Carter calls on Tennessee House Speaker Casada to resign amid text messaging scandal
- Tennessee House GOP Caucus members to meet to discuss political fate of embattled Speaker Glen Casada
- Glen Casada controversy opens old wounds from 2018 Hamilton County state House GOP primary
- Tennessee legislative Black Caucus calls on Speaker Glen Casada to resign over racial texts, other issues
- Yet another Tennessee Republican House member calls on Glen Casada to resign
- Embroiled in controversies, Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada battles on after Lt. Gov. McNally says it's time to go
- Reps. Hazlewood, Carter lose faith in Tennessee Speaker Glen Casada amid text messaging scandal, other issues
- Tennessee Firearms Association head calls on House to oust Glen Casada as speaker
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada apologizes for text message controversies, pledges changes after some Republicans call for his resignation
- Tennessee House Democrats demand federal investigation into claims that Casada eavesdropped on private meetings
- Bill Lee wants public confidence 'fully restored' after Casada text message scandal
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada 'sorry' over text scandal but won't resign
- After admitting drug use, Tennessee House speaker's top aide resigns amid allegations of racist and sexually explicit texts