Tennessee Republicans clash with Trump on recent Glen Casada pardon

Both Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R) have openly criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon former Speaker Glen Casada, who was found guilty of corruption earlier this year.

In 2021, the FBI raided Casada’s home during an investigation of a campaign funds laundering scheme. After a criminal trial began in April, Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren were found guilty of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, using a fictitious name to carry out fraud and money laundering.

The scheme involved Casada and Cothren creating a fake political mailing group called Phoenix Solutions, which several Republican lawmakers in Tennessee hired using taxpayer funds without knowing it was a shell company.

Republicans push back

Although Casada and Cothran were found guilty in September and sentenced to 36 months and 30 months in prison respectively, Trump pardoned both men last week. A White House official told The Guardian that Trump approved the pardons because former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department “significantly over-prosecuted these individuals for a minor issue.”

In a statement to WBIR-TV Knoxville (10News), Sexton pointed out that the investigation began while Trump was in office and the sentencing was carried out by his Department of Justice.  

“Well, look, that’s the president’s decision,” Sexton told 10News. “Look, I don’t think they should have been pardoned. It’s not my decision. They were found guilty, you know, the Trump FBI started an investigation. That Trump’s DOJ in March decided to go forward with the prosecution. That was their decision based on the evidence. And then you had a Trump judge who presided over the case in Nashville.”

McNally reportedly said he felt the decision was “not correct.”

Last week, Trump also pardoned dozens of individuals involved with his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.