Tennessee kickback scandal leaves GOP reps feeling betrayed
Source: Associated Press
Tennessee kickback scandal leaves GOP reps feeling betrayed
By JONATHAN MATTISE
March 10, 2022
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee House Republican lawmakers say they were betrayed by one of their own after they hired a shadowy political consulting firm talked up by a colleague who has since pleaded guilty to fraud in an alleged kickback scheme that also implicates a former House speaker and others.
House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison told reporters that GOP caucus members had no reason to suspect fraud when they hired Phoenix Solutions to perform campaign and related services for lawmakers. Faison promised “greater scrutiny every time” on hiring vendors, saying they will always be established companies.
Faison’s comments were in response to the guilty plea on a wire fraud charge by former Republican state Rep. Robin Smith of Hixson, entered Tuesday in Nashville federal court. Authorities say she, former House Speaker Glen Casada and his one-time chief of staff, Cade Cothren, created Phoenix Solutions as a way to illegally funnel money to themselves through both campaign and taxpayer-funded work. Smith resigned her seat Monday.
Phoenix Solutions, another separate company owned by Smith, and a company owned by Casada received almost $52,000 combined in 2020 through the taxpayer-funded mailer program, not accounting for the campaign materials for other lawmakers, the court documents state. So far, prosecutors have not announced any charges against Casada or Cothren. Neither man was referred to by name in the charging documents but it was clear based on descriptions provided who they were.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-nashville-tennessee-campaigns-3be902aa5bd9d1af10a5e3d8b164da04
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