The federal bribery and kickback trial for former House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, has been postponed until April 2025 due to a mistake made by the government in providing copies of former Rep. Robin Smith’s electronic devices. The trial was rescheduled by U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson after privileged attorney-client information had to be scrubbed from the devices, causing delays in trial preparation for Casada and Cothren’s attorneys.
Smith, who pleaded guilty in the case, is now cooperating with federal prosecutors against Casada and Cothren. The two are accused of running a secret vendor that conducted nearly $52,000 worth of state-funded constituent mailers for House Republicans without their knowledge. Cothren allegedly provided kickbacks to Smith and Casada in exchange for directing business to his company, Phoenix Solutions, which he operated under the alias Matthew Phoenix. The secrecy surrounding the operation was necessary due to Cothren’s removal from his chief of staff position following a scandal involving racist and sexist texts that led to Casada resigning from his speakership in 2019 after just seven months.
The trial delay raises questions about the potential impact on the case as more time passes before the defendants have their day in court. Despite the setback, the prosecution and defense teams are gearing up for what is expected to be a high-profile and closely watched trial when it finally takes place in April.
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