Former Tennessee Rep. Robin Smith pleads guilty to fraud

Mar. 9—NASHVILLE — Former state Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, a political consultant, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Tuesday to charges of wire fraud in what federal prosecutors described as a "kickback" scheme involving the use of taxpayer-funded constituent mail, an effort that included former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren.

Smith, who resigned Monday, did not respond to reporter requests for comment after her plea on Tuesday, but she issued a statement through a public relations firm, Waterhouse Public Relations.

"Earlier today, I entered into a plea agreement with the federal government," the statement said. "I have pled guilty to one count of honest services fraud. Once the Department of Justice informed me of the nature of my activities, I took full responsibility for my actions, culminating in my guilty plea. There are no excuses. I intend to cooperate fully as a witness with the federal government and do whatever I can to assist the government in this regard."

Prosecutors said Smith and Casada received kickbacks from Cothren, who lost his job in 2019 in a scandal over sex and racist-tinged texts with Casada. Cothren later created a shadowy political firm, New Mexico-based Phoenix Solutions LLC, which was run by a "Matthew Phoenix," a fictitious identity that prosecutors say was taken on by Cothren.

Smith and Casada pushed to press House Speaker Cameron Sexton's office to approve the firm as a House legislative constituent mail vendor, prosecutors said.

The firm received thousands of dollars and funneled portions back to Smith and Casada. Prosecutors have not publicly identified Casada and Cothren but refer to a former speaker and his former chief of staff.

The charge comes 14 months after FBI agents descended on Smith and Casada's homes and legislative offices.

Smith used the firm extensively in 2020 herself, spending nearly $75,000 with Phoenix through her personal campaign accounts and her Leadership Pioneers political action committee, through the 4th quarter of 2020.

Smith's legislative clients included Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, and Rep. Esther Helton, R-East Ridge.

Asked for reactions Monday to Smith's announced plea, both Hazlewood and Helton described it as a "sad day."

I have resigned as Representative of the Tennessee House," Smith's statement went on to say. "I did so out of respect for the honor of Tennesseans, my commitment to public service over the last several decades, and of course, my Christian faith. I believe in forgiveness and I hope to earn yours over time.

"Serving is an honor. Rather than continuing to serve in the General Assembly, I intend to remain active in my community and my church. While this has been a difficult time in my life, I remain convinced that something positive will come out of it.

"As you can imagine, I am not able to provide any additional comment at this time. If you have any questions or need any additional information, I would refer you to the plea agreement, which speaks for itself."

Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.