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Sentencing Delayed for Ex-Rep. Robin Smith Amid Ongoing Corruption Fallout

Jun 18, 2025 at 03:04 pm by WGNS Radio News

L to R: Robin Smith, Cade Cothren and Glen Casada

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sentencing has been delayed for former Tennessee State Representative Robin Smith, a key figure in a sprawling political corruption case that has rocked state politics. Originally scheduled for June 9, 2025, her sentencing has been pushed to October 24, 2025. The four-month delay appears to coincide with reports that Smith provided further cooperation to federal investigators, possibly offering new insights into the scandal that led to convictions of two other high-profile Tennessee Republicans.

Smith, 64, of Hixson, Tennessee, once led both the state and Hamilton County Republican Party. She pleaded guilty in 2022 to one count of honest services wire fraud and later served as the prosecution's star witness during the federal trial of former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren.

This past May, a federal jury found Casada, 64, and Cothren, 38, guilty of a wide array of charges, including theft, bribery, money laundering, and wire fraud. According to the Department of Justice, the pair conspired with Smith in a fraudulent scheme beginning in late 2019 to divert state funds to Phoenix Solutions—a political consulting firm secretly controlled by Cothren, who operated under the fictitious alias “Matthew Phoenix.”

The scheme involved manipulating official channels within the state legislature to secure payments to Phoenix Solutions. In return for their efforts to steer business and state dollars toward the sham company, Smith and Casada allegedly received kickbacks. The group collectively secured more than $220,000 from state programs and political campaigns through falsified invoices and shell companies.

Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire emphasized the importance of integrity in public service, stating, “Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs.” The FBI echoed that sentiment, with Nashville Field Office Special Agent Joseph Carrico noting that “using public office for personal gain is a crime,” adding that the agency remains committed to rooting out corruption.

Smith’s delayed sentencing follows news that Casada and Cothren will be sentenced on September 12, 2025. Each man faces up to 20 years in prison. As the judicial process continues, all three defendants could be ordered to forfeit assets tied to the offenses.

This case remains one of the most significant public corruption prosecutions in recent Tennessee history, exposing how personal ambition and secrecy infiltrated the workings of state government—and how one lawmaker’s cooperation may have helped bring the broader scheme to light.

 

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