Latest news with #CameronSexton
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers accuse MSCS of destroying documents ahead of forensic audit
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Shelby County Schools is denying accusations made by two state Republican leaders of destroying documents ahead of the forensic audit of the district. In a Facebook post on Thursday, State House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally accused MSCS of destroying documents ahead of the forensic audit. Hearing Shelby County Schools is destroying documents ahead of the forensic audit – this is a crime! Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury has been notified. Those tampering with or destroying public records will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Memphis Shelby County Schools then released the following statement denying any knowledge of documents being destroyed. 'Memphis-Shelby County Schools officials have been made aware of a joint social media statement from Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally accusing unidentified MSCS personnel of engaging in the tampering with and/or destruction of public documents in anticipation of a forensic audit of MSCS. We are unaware of any such alleged acts by any MSCS representative or official, nor have we received any evidence substantiating these extremely serious claims and accusations. Therefore, we implore those with information related to the alleged conduct to share it with us, so that any responsible individual(s) can be thoroughly investigated and held accountable. Interim Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond has publicly and privately committed to fully cooperating with local and state officials to conduct a fair and transparent auditing process. He has personally attempted to contact Speaker Sexton in a continued effort to work with the General Assembly and directly address suspicions of unethical, improper, or illegal conduct on behalf of any MSCS staff or officials.' County orders forensic audit for Memphis-Shelby County Schools financial records Back in February, the Shelby County Commission approved hiring an auditing firm to look through the school district's financial records from Jan. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2025. The audit would determine whether taxpayer money may have been misused over the past five years. The district has a budget of $1.9 billion and serves more than 100,000 students. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Lee signs bill banning glock switches in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Glock switches are now banned in the state of Tennessee after Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill to outlaw the firearm accessory. Tennessee is now the 27th state in the nation to ban the device that converts handguns into fully-automatic weapons. States are mimicking federal law, which generally prohibits machine guns and any parts that can transform semiautomatic weapons into automatic ones. Glock switches have been used in countless mass shootings, including one in Memphis in 2024. The legislation was sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and passed with bipartisan support. Gun control advocates are praising the new law, calling it a meaningful step toward making Tennessee safe. Earlier this year, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed similar legislation, following other states including Mississippi and Virginia last legislative session. 'Today's victory speaks volumes to the bipartisan progress that we can—and must—make together to prevent gun violence in Tennessee,'said Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action, in a release. 'Banning Glock switches is just common sense — these devices turn everyday guns into illegal machine guns, and they have no place in our communities. This win is a meaningful step toward making Tennessee safer for everyone.' ⏩ 'This is a huge victory for young Tennesseans,' said Emma Mann, a volunteer with the Vanderbilt Students Demand Action chapter. 'My generation has been traumatized by America's gun violence crisis, and it's moments like this, after years of advocacy and mobilizing, that make it all worth it. Gun violence is preventable, and we won't stop fighting for the safety of our communities.' According to a release, Tennessee has the 11th-highest rate of gun deaths and the 8th-highest rate of gun homicide in the U.S. Gun violence reportedly costs Tennessee $18.0 billion each year, of which $415.5 million is paid by taxpayers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs bill banning Glock switches
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation on Wednesday to ban Glock switches, making Tennessee the 27th state in the nation to do so. The legislation was sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and passed with bipartisan support. Machinegun Conversion Devices or 'switches' are aftermarket gun accessories that make semi-automatic handguns or rifles fire like fully automatic weapons. What are 'Glock switches'? The Tennessee chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action praised the new law in statements released on Wednesday. 'Today's victory speaks volumes to the bipartisan progress that we can—and must—make together to prevent gun violence in Tennessee,' said Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action. 'Banning Glock switches is just common sense — these devices turn everyday guns into illegal machine guns, and they have no place in our communities. This win is a meaningful step toward making Tennessee safer for everyone.' According to a release from the nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety, Tennessee has the 11th-highest rate of gun deaths and the 8th-highest rate of gun homicide in the U.S. 'Banning Glock switches is bad news for criminals who want to inflict maximum damage with a single pull of the trigger, and lifesaving news for law enforcement and the communities they're charged with protecting,' said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. 'We applaud Tennessee lawmakers for forging a bipartisan response to the threat of Glock switches, and urge them to keep working together on common-sense solutions to gun violence.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Jury convicts ex-Tennessee House speaker and his aide in legislative mail scheme
A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Tennessee House speaker and his onetime chief of staff in a scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail business from state lawmakers even after scandals drove the two out of political power. Former Republican Rep. Glen Casada was found guilty of all 19 charges, while his then-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, was found guilty of 17 of 19 charges in a public corruption trial that began in late April. The current House speaker, Cameron Sexton, helped authorities in the case against his predecessor since taking the job in 2019, he has said. Sexton was among the lawmakers and staffers who testified to the grand jury. But Sexton was noticeably absent as a witness after prosecutors said they planned for him to testify. The defense sought to draw attention to a political rivalry between Casada and Sexton. Ultimately, the defense declined to call any witnesses. Neither Casada nor Cothren testified. And defense attempts to discuss in front of jurors whether Sexton wore a wire were shut down by the judge. Casada resigned as House speaker in August 2019 after a no-confidence vote from fellow House Republicans due to swirling scandals, including revelations he exchanged sexually explicit text messages about women years ago with Cothren. Not long before that, Cothren also left his post over those texts and racist texts, coupled with an admission he used cocaine inside a legislative office building when he held a previous job. The criminal charges center on a time after the pair's political freefall, while Casada was still a sitting lawmaker. The charges claim Cothren launched Phoenix Solutions with Smith's and Casada's knowledge and support. The trio claimed the firm was run by a 'Matthew Phoenix,' as Phoenix Solutions and companies controlled by Casada and then-Rep. Robin Smith received roughly $52,000 in 2020 from the state in payments associated with the taxpayer-funded mailer program for lawmakers. A 'Matthew Phoenix' signature ended up on an IRS tax document. Casada and Cothren were indicted in August 2022 after Smith resigned and pleaded guilty to one charge in the Phoenix Solutions scheme. Smith testified for prosecutors for several days. Defense attorneys noted the state got the mailings it paid for. They tried to paint Smith as untrustworthy and driven by hopes for a lenient sentence under her plea deal. Smith testified that the goal was to keep the current House speaker, the legislative administration director and the public unaware of who was behind Phoenix Solutions due to the 'radioactive' scandal that pushed Casada and Cothren out of power. The taxpayer-funded mailings for House Republicans were a way in to expand later to campaign work, she said. Smith told fellow lawmakers that Phoenix Solutions was run by professionals with a prominent political consulting firm who were tired of doing Washington-related work. Matthew Phoenix's associate, Candice, was portrayed by Casada's then-girlfriend, prosecutors said. In a recorded call played for jurors, a fellow Republican, Rep. Ron Gant, feigned interest in becoming a client and spurred Smith to repeat lies about Phoenix Solutions. Smith said she didn't know she was being recorded. In January 2021, FBI agents searched the homes, legislative offices, or both, of Casada, Cothren, Smith and other statehouse figures. Smith left a voicemail with her attorney when they arrived. But by the time the attorney called back to tell her not to talk, she had already lied about the scheme to agents, Smith testified. The trial's fate became shaky when prosecutors failed to redact a portion of the FBI's interview with Casada that was then played for the jury. But the judge ruled against a defense motion for a mistrial, saying there was other evidence that echoed Casada's mistakenly unredacted comments — that Sexton would have rejected the use of Phoenix Solutions if he knew Cothren was involved. Casada remained a state representative until 2022, when he didn't seek reelection.
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Jury convicts ex-Tennessee House speaker and his aide in legislative mail scheme
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Tennessee House speaker and his onetime chief of staff in a scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail business from state lawmakers even after scandals drove the two out of political power. Former Republican Rep. Glen Casada was found guilty of all 19 charges, while his then-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, was found guilty of 17 of 19 charges in a public corruption trial that began in late April. The current House speaker, Cameron Sexton, helped authorities in the case against his predecessor since taking the job in 2019, he has said. Sexton was among the lawmakers and staffers who testified to the grand jury. But Sexton was noticeably absent as a witness after prosecutors said they planned for him to testify. The defense sought to draw attention to a political rivalry between Casada and Sexton. Ultimately, the defense declined to call any witnesses. Neither Casada nor Cothren testified. And defense attempts to discuss in front of jurors whether Sexton wore a wire were shut down by the judge. Casada resigned as House speaker in August 2019 after a no-confidence vote from fellow House Republicans due to swirling scandals, including revelations he exchanged sexually explicit text messages about women years ago with Cothren. Not long before that, Cothren also left his post over those texts and racist texts, coupled with an admission he used cocaine inside a legislative office building when he held a previous job. The criminal charges center on a time after the pair's political freefall, while Casada was still a sitting lawmaker. The charges claim Cothren launched Phoenix Solutions with Smith's and Casada's knowledge and support. The trio claimed the firm was run by a 'Matthew Phoenix,' as Phoenix Solutions and companies controlled by Casada and then-Rep. Robin Smith received roughly $52,000 in 2020 from the state in payments associated with the taxpayer-funded mailer program for lawmakers. A 'Matthew Phoenix' signature ended up on an IRS tax document. Casada and Cothren were indicted in August 2022 after Smith resigned and pleaded guilty to one charge in the Phoenix Solutions scheme. Smith testified for prosecutors for several days. Defense attorneys noted the state got the mailings it paid for. They tried to paint Smith as untrustworthy and driven by hopes for a lenient sentence under her plea deal. Smith testified that the goal was to keep the current House speaker, the legislative administration director and the public unaware of who was behind Phoenix Solutions due to the 'radioactive' scandal that pushed Casada and Cothren out of power. The taxpayer-funded mailings for House Republicans were a way in to expand later to campaign work, she said. Smith told fellow lawmakers that Phoenix Solutions was run by professionals with a prominent political consulting firm who were tired of doing Washington-related work. Matthew Phoenix's associate, Candice, was portrayed by Casada's then-girlfriend, prosecutors said. In a recorded call played for jurors, a fellow Republican, Rep. Ron Gant, feigned interest in becoming a client and spurred Smith to repeat lies about Phoenix Solutions. Smith said she didn't know she was being recorded. In January 2021, FBI agents searched the homes, legislative offices, or both, of Casada, Cothren, Smith and other statehouse figures. Smith left a voicemail with her attorney when they arrived. But by the time the attorney called back to tell her not to talk, she had already lied about the scheme to agents, Smith testified. The trial's fate became shaky when prosecutors failed to redact a portion of the FBI's interview with Casada that was then played for the jury. But the judge ruled against a defense motion for a mistrial, saying there was other evidence that echoed Casada's mistakenly unredacted comments — that Sexton would have rejected the use of Phoenix Solutions if he knew Cothren was involved. Casada remained a state representative until 2022, when he didn't seek reelection.
