A federal judge in Tennessee has vacated the convictions of former House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, according to an order filed on Thursday, February 5, 2026.

The decision, which effectively nullifies the guilty verdicts as if the trial never occurred, follows an unopposed motion and stems from recent developments confirming the court’s jurisdiction. The men were originally convicted in May 2025 on multiple counts of honest services fraud, money laundering, and related charges tied to a years-long scandal involving a sham company called Phoenix Solutions, which they used to fraudulently obtain state mailing contracts under a fictitious name.

Casada received a three-year prison sentence, one year of supervised release, and a $30,000 fine in September 2025, while Cothren was sentenced to two and a half years (or 30 months in some reports), probation, and a $25,000 fine, with Casada’s harsher penalty reflecting his status as a former elected official held to higher standards.

The vacating of these convictions comes after President Donald Trump granted full pardons to both men in November 2025, prompting federal prosecutors to request the erasure of the criminal judgments and closure of the case.

Tennessee House Republican leadership had previously voiced opposition to any pardons for the pair.