Commentary: Anonymous ‘Dark’ Money Plus Unions Generally Equals Corrupt Politics

It is critical that Tennesseans and Americans trust their election process. Almost certainly, cash is being funneled into obscure organizations in our state to attempt to influence and win elections – and shape future policies. Our state has been rocked by political scandals throughout our history. One incident – “The Battle of Athens” has been immortalized for standing up to corruption. A recent Tennessee Speaker of the House, Glen Casada, awaits trial on bribery and kickback charges later this year.

It is easy to observe that teacher unions have donated millions to political campaigns, mostly going to Democratic candidates and committees. Since 2010, Democrats replaced Republicans in dark money spending. Nobody likes to talk about the millions spent on private jets, Broadway shows, or luxury retreats by the Republican National Committee. Where did that money come from?

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Host Leahy and All-Star Panelist Clint Brewer Deep-Dive into Casada-Cothren Indictment

Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in-studio to help unravel the specifics surround former Speaker Glen Casada and his aid Cade Cothren’s indictment.

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Tennessee State House Republican Leaders React to Arrests of Casada and Former Aide

Tennessee State House of Representatives Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland), and House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) all reacted to the news that former Speaker of the Tennessee House Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren were indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and arrested early Tuesday morning by the FBI by issuing public statements.

Sexton said on Tuesday that Tennessee will not “tolerate public corruption, defrauding our state, or bribery at any level.”

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Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada and Aide Indicted in Alleged Bribery and Kickback Conspiracy

In a statement released early Tuesday, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of ‘Tennessee announced that former Speaker of the Tennessee House Glen Casada and his former chief of staff Cade Cothren were indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and arrested early Tuesday morning by the FBI.

According to the statement they were charged with conspiracy to commit the following offenses: “theft from programs receiving federal funds; bribery and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; honest services wire fraud; and conspiracy to commit money laundering.”

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Tennessee Senate Passes Amended Campaign Finance Reporting Bill

Tennessee’s Senate passed a bill on Thursday that could require more reporting requirements for political action committees (PAC), candidates and some nonprofits.

An amended Senate Bill 1005 could require any PAC registering after July 1 to include a name and address from an ID for its officers if it becomes law.

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Businessman Jake McCalmon Running for State House District 63 Seat

Businessman Jake McCalmon is running for the Republican nomination for an open seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent parts of Williamson County.

The seat was vacated by Representative Glen Casada, who opted to not run for another term amid an ongoing federal probe into allegations of possible public corruption. Instead, Casada is set to run for Williamson County clerk.

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New Bill Would Allow Tennessee’s Government Employees to Opt Out from Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Trainings

Tennessee’s government employees may be entitled to opt out of certain trainings, seminars, or educational courses if it violates their morals, ethics, values, or religious beliefs. According to a set of companion bills introduced last month, the exemption would be enforced across all levels of government throughout the state.

Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) issued the first version of the bill, followed less than a week later by Representative Glen Casada (R-Franklin) issuing a companion bill.

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Left-Wing Activist, Already Banned from Tennessee Capitol, Said Lawmakers Invited Him Inside

 

Left-wing activist Justin Jones walked into the Tennessee State Capitol Tuesday, more than a year after state officials banned him from the facility for allegedly assaulting then-Speaker of the House Glen Casada.

Various Republican and Democratic officials, as well as those from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, provided no information about how Jones entered the building.

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Current and Past Tennessee Officials Warn of a ‘Hole in Our Defense of Nursing Homes’ with COVID-19

A man who ran TennCare during the 1990s said Thursday that he expects Tennessee will, within weeks, record a spike in the number of nursing home patients who contract COVID-19.

That man, Rusty Siebert, warned The Tennessee Star Thursday that the goings-on at a Williamson County nursing home might justify his fears.

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Agreement Reached to Drop Assault Charges Against Justin Jones in Glen Casada/Debra Moody Case

Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott reached an agreement to drop charges against outspoken activist Justin Jones who was accused of assault and disorderly conduct after he allegedly threw a liquid at the former Speaker of the House Glen Casada and Rep. Debra Moody.

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Glen Casada and Bill Ketron Are Under Investigation for Campaign Finance Violations

  Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada and current Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron are both being investigated for allegedly misspending campaign money, according to NewsChannel 5. The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance unanimously voted Wednesday to look into both politicians’ campaign and political action committee accounts. Registry…

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Williamson County School Board Member Wants Glen Casada’s Seat

  Williamson County School Board member Brad Fiscus reportedly wants to run for Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada’s seat. This, according to his professional Facebook page. The Nashville Post, meanwhile, reported Fiscus will run as an independent. Fiscus told The Tennessee Star in an email Friday he is out town until next…

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Rep. Carter Promises House Chairs to Retain Them and Not Retaliate if Elected Speaker

  State Rep. Mike Carter (R-TN-29) of Ooltewah reportedly wrote to all House chairmen and vice chairmen in his bid to become the next Speaker, multiple media outlets report. Carter promises fair treatment to all members without retribution, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. A meeting of the Tennessee…

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Sen. Blackburn, Rep. Green Among the Speakers at Williamson GOP’s Annual Summer Dinner on Aug. 3

  Williamson GOP and affiliated groups are holding their annual Summer Dinner on Saturday, Aug. 3 featuring “down-home BBQ with all the fixings,” live music and prominent political guests. Those guests will include U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07), and State Reps. Glen Casada (R-TN-63)…

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State Reps. Ryan Williams, Cameron Sexton Join Race to Succeed Glen Casada as House Speaker

  The pieces are falling into place for the Tennessee GOP House Caucus to select the new speaker, with a couple of new faces entering the race this week. The caucus will meet July 24 to pick a nominee to replace disgraced outgoing Speaker and Rep. Glen Casada (R-TN-63) of…

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BREAKING: Speaker Glen Casada Announces Resignation Effective August 2, 2019 at 8 AM

  Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada indicated a few weeks ago that he would be resigning from his position as Speaker and would determine a timetable for the effective date of his resignation when he returned from a long-planned overseas vacation on June 3. Casada initiated discussions about a specific…

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House Speaker Glen Casada Starts Discussions With Republicans on Date He Will Resign

  Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada is holding discussions with Republican lawmakers on when he will resign, now that he has returned from a vacation in Europe, WKRN reported. The station quoted Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden as saying Monday that Casada would “meet with the leadership team and…

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State House Republican Leader William Lamberth Will Not Run for Speaker

  As the chief officer of the Republican Party in the House, Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) told The Tennessee Star that he will not run for the role of Speaker after Glen Casada (R-Franklin) steps down. Casada, who was elected into the role of Speaker of the House in…

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State Rep. Matthew Hill Seeks House Speaker Position

  State Rep. Matthew Hill (R-TN-07) said he will seek the Republican nomination for Speaker of the Tennessee House. The Jonesborough Republican, who is the Deputy House Speaker, made the announcement Wednesday at a legislative breakfast hosted by the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce, WJHL said. State Rep. Mike Carter…

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The Tennessee Star Report: Glen Casada is a Political Dead Man Walking

  During a discussion Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy speculated whether or not Glen Casada would resign. Towards the end…

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Some Former Casada Interns Are Disputing the Claims That Are Fueling Efforts to Remove Him as Speaker

  Several of House Speaker Glen Casada’s former interns, male and female and white and black, are speaking out and disputing recent claims that he tolerated or engaged in racist or sexist comments during their time working in his office. Some of the interns have spoken WSMV Channel 4, but…

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Showdown in the Tennessee House GOP Caucus

  The stage is set for a dramatic showdown on Monday afternoon in downtown Nashville between about a dozen Republican state legislators, led by an increasingly vocal State Rep. Mike Carter (R-Ooltewah), and Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada. At issue is whether the 73 member Tennessee House Republican…

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Senior Staff for Lt. Governor Randy McNally Paid More Than House Speaker Glen Casada Paid Top Staffers

  Although there has been an abundance of media attention to the annual salary of House Speaker Glen Casada’s now-former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren, there has been little focus on the salaries paid to Lt. Governor Randy McNally’s top staffers.  Scott Gilmer, who was serving as Casada’s Director of…

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The Tennessee Star Report: Which Republicans Have Called for a Meeting of the House GOP Caucus?

  On Thursday morning’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the duo spoke about the recent call for a meeting of the Tennessee Republican House Caucus to discuss the controversies…

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The Tennessee Star Asks Chairman Cameron Sexton to Make Monday’s House GOP Caucus Meeting Open to the Public

  The Tennessee Star sent a letter on Thursday to State Rep. Cameron Sexton (R-Cookeville), Chairman of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus, asking that he make Monday’s House Republican Caucus meeting called to discuss Speaker Glen Casada open to the public. “On behalf of our readers and all Tennesseans, I…

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Tennessee House Speaker Casada Pledges Cooperation with District Attorney General’s Conference Investigation

  Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada is moving to handle the continued fallout over revelations that include allegedly inappropriate text messages involving him and former chief of staff Cade Cothren. Casada said he directed the Speaker’s office to cooperate with a District Attorney General’s Conference investigation of an email from…

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Republican Caucus Conference Call Reveals Divide Among Republican Legislators Over Casada’s Future as Speaker

  An emergency conference call hosted by House Speaker Glen Casada to address concerns among the 73 Republican caucus members over recent news stories involving Casada, his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren and claims that the legislative culture needs to be changed revealed fault lines in the caucus, according…

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Glen Casada Chief of Staff Cade Cothren Resigns After Release of More Damaging Texts

  Cade Cothren announced Monday he will resign as chief of staff for Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada. “Effective immediately, my Chief of Staff, Cade Cothren has resigned from his position. As this story continued to evolve in recent days, I had additional conversations with Mr. Cothren, and…

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Man Who Oversees Tennessee Legislature’s Server Corrects Phil Williams on His Cade Cothren and Justin Jones Exposé

  The man who oversees the Tennessee General Assembly’s Local Information Server disputed some of what News Channel 5’s Phil Williams reported about Cade Cothren and Justin Jones and said so to him in an email Thursday. Cothren is chief of staff for Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada.…

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Left-Wing Activist Justin Jones Still Has a Court Date for Alleged Assault of Glen Casada

Left-wing activist and Vanderbilt Divinity School student Justin Jones still has another court date pending, this time for allegedly throwing coffee at Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada last month. The beverage Jones allegedly threw also hit State Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington, while all three were at the state…

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Speaker Glen Casada: ‘There Will Be Some Oversight and a Push for Further Deep Oversight’ of Williamson County Schools ‘White Privilege’ In-Service Training

Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada said on Thursday he favors legislative oversight into how and why Williamson County Schools are conducting “white privilege” in-service training for teachers this academic year, in apparent violation of state law. Appearing on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy…

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Steve Gill Blasts The Tennessean Fake News Attacks on Governor Bill Lee and Speaker Casada on The Tennessee Star Report

In a specific discussion on Tuesday morning’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Steve Gill talked in depth about The Tennessean newspapers fake news attacks on Governor…

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Left-Wing Activist Justin Jones Says Nashville DA Glenn Funk Treats Him Unfairly

Justin Jones, the left-wing protester charged with assaulting Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, said on social media this week that members of Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk’s office treat him unfairly. As The Tennessee Star reported this week, members of Funk’s office filed to revoke Jones’ bond.…

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The Tennessee Star Report: State Senator Kerry Roberts Describes Female Protestor on the Hill Accosting a Sixteen-Year-Old Guest Because of Her Skin Color

On Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Host Steve Gill spoke to Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) about the escalation of protesters and how the disruption is cause for concern at…

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Nashville District Attorney’s Office Files to Revoke Bond for Left-Wing Activist Justin Jones, Records Show

Members of Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk’s office have filed a motion to revoke the bond for left-wing activist Justin Jones, according to an official with the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office. This, as Jones is out on bond for allegedly disrupting a Marsha Blackburn for U.S. Senate…

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Left-Wing Activist Justin Jones No Longer Welcome at Tennessee Capitol

Authorities have banned left-wing activist Justin Jones from entering the Tennessee capitol in Nashville, after he allegedly threw a beverage – possibly coffee – on Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada and another state legislator Thursday. The ban, however, is apparently not permanent, at least not until Jones’ case…

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The Tennessee Star Report: State Rep Cameron Sexton Decribes Another Justin Jones Attack on Capitol Hill Using Hot Coffee

On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am-the duo chatted with State Rep Cameron Sexton about another Justin Jones assault that occurred at the Tennessee Capitol this week. Allegedly…

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Out on Bond Left-Wing Activist Justin Jones Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada

Two well-known left-wing activists with a history of causing trouble at Republican events are now under arrest on charges of simple assault for throwing a liquid at Tennessee Republican Speaker of the House Glen Casada Thursday. Officers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol arrested Vanderbilt Divinity School student Justin Jones and…

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Tennessee Star Report EXCLUSIVE: Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada Says Fetal Heartbeat Bill ‘Will Progress Quickly Through the House’

In an an exclusive interview on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast Friday on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada made news on several fronts. Casada said that the…

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Out on Bond Left-Wing Activist Justin Jones Instigates Confrontation at State Capitol, State Troopers Intervene

A left-wing activist out on bond for allegedly disrupting a Marsha Blackburn rally in Nashville last fall apparently disturbed the Tennessee capitol building Thursday and said House Speaker Glen Casada actually pushed him. That activist, Justin Jones, has a history trying to obstruct Republican officials while they carry out their…

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Glen Casada Tells Small Business NFIB to Get Involved in Tennessee Politics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The best way Tennessee’s small business owners can help state legislators and, ultimately, themselves, is to get more engaged in state politics, said state House Speaker Glen Casada, R-Franklin. Casada made those remarks Tuesday at the Cordell Hull State Office Building while addressing members of the NFIB:…

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The Tennessee Star Report Talks to New GOP Caucus Chair Cameron Sexton, Who Sets Record Straight on False Claim All Meetings Will Be Closed

On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked to State Representative and good friend Cameron Sexton about his new role as caucus chairman for…

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Tennessee State Lawmakers Eye Penalties for Shelby County Defiance of New Law on Illegal Aliens

Tennessee’s top political leaders are reportedly rebuking Memphis for not going along with a new law to detain illegal immigrants for federal officials. As The Tennessee Star reported, Shelby County officials say they won’t cooperate with a new Tennessee law that helps federal officials detain and deport illegal aliens. The…

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