Fairness dictated that former state Rep. Robin Smith not go to prison for her role in a corruption conspiracy, while her codefendants were given pardons by President Donald Trump.
(IN THE NEWS: Former Hixson Rep. Robin Smith will not go to prison)
The former Hixson Republican lawmaker was to report to a West Virginia federal prison Monday since she did not receive the same reprieve from the president in November as former Speaker of the House Glen Casada, R-Franklin, and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren. Both were convicted in the same scheme to create a fake company that used taxpayer funds for lawmakers to mail constituents and gave kickbacks to Cothren and Smith.
An hour before Smith was scheduled to report to prison for eight months, U.S. District Judge Eli J. Richardson resentenced her to one year of probation and a payment of $100. Since she already has paid $28,000 in restitution, where her codefendants paid none because of their pardons, she also could get that money back.
(In response to her request to be resentenced, the prosecution noted there was no other case in which a conspirator reported to prison after an equally culpable co-conspirator was pardoned.)