Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada was sentenced to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $30,000 fine after being convicted on 14 counts of honest service fraud and money laundering. The conviction stems from a six-year political scandal involving Casada and his former aide, Cade Cothren, who were found guilty in May 2025 for setting up a sham company, Phoenix Solutions, using a fake name to secure state mailing contracts.

Cothren received a lighter sentence of two and a half years in prison, a year of probation, and a $25,000 fine. Casada’s harsher sentence reflects his status as a former elected official, held to a higher standard under federal sentencing guidelines, which could add one to two years to his sentence, as explained by attorney David Raybin.

While Cothren has hinted at seeking a presidential pardon, notably by changing his social media profile picture to one in front of President Donald Trump’s portrait, no such efforts have been reported for Casada.

Tennessee House Republican leadership has publicly opposed pardons for both men.