Rep Robin Smith Resigns After Federal Indictment On Federal Wire Fraud Charges [Update 3.8.22]

***Update 3.8.22 – Article updated with new information.***

Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

Representative Robin Smith (R-Hixson-District 26), who represents Hamilton County in the Tennessee House of Representatives, has announced her immediate resignation following a federal indictment on federal wire fraud charges.

In response, House Speaker Cameron Sexton said in a statement, “More than a year ago, federal authorities started an investigation into public corruption. Today’s news and the ultimate resignation of Rep. Smith is a sad day for all who know her.”

Smith has been charged with honest services wire fraud for her alleged involvement with former House Speaker Glenn Casada and Cade Cothren, who have not been charged, in a “scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the Middle District of Tennessee and the government of Tennessee of their right to the honest services of a public official.”

Smith faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. She also would forfeit any property or proceeds related to the charge.

However, The Tennessee Lookout reports that Smith is set to change her plea Tuesday, March 8th as part of an agreement in federal court.

The indictment was presented by federal prosecutors in Nashville’s U.S. District Court on Friday.

Federal prosecutors claim that Smith owns and operates a political consulting company called ‘Phoenix Solutions.’ Additional allegations claim that Smith created a “fictitious person” to run the company.

Prosecutors claim that that the fictitious person named ‘Matthew Phoenix’ was said, by Smith, to be an ‘experienced political consultant’ who worked for a real political consulting company based in Washington D.C. However, the indictment claims that Smith founded the business, ran it, and she, along with other individuals reaped its profits.

The indictment claims that Phoenix Solutions was set up by Cade Cothren, former Chief of Staff of former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada,  with the knowledge of Smith and Casada, and that it received more than $202,000 in payments from House Republicans before coming under scrutiny, as well as payments for independent expenditures from two Senate campaigns.

The filing alleges that Phoenix Solutions netted $158,165 from campaign accounts and $51,947 from mailer programs. Smith earned at least $4,143, according to the filing. The House Republican Caucus paid $48,000 to Phoenix Solutions for mailers through the Tennessee Republican Party.

The indictment goes on to claim that Smith concealed Cade Cothren’s involvement in the company due to the belief that the company would not be approved by the office of the Tennessee House Speaker if Cothren’s name was tied to it.

Cothren has been involved in several scandals heavily reported on in Tennessee media.

Further, the indictment states that Smith was in receipt of payouts from Cothren in exchange for her using her position in the House to perform official acts such as “pressuring the Tennessee House Speaker’s Office to approve Phoenix Solutions as a Mailer program vendor.”

House Speaker Cameron Sexton said in a statement, “It is clear from the charging documents that certain individuals used their official capacity to target General Assembly members and the Republican Caucus by using a fake company to siphon off money illegally and deceptively. I will continue to cooperate fully with federal authorities as the investigation continues, which has been the case since I became speaker in 2019.”

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The full indictment against Smith can be viewed HERE.

The announcement of Smith’s resignation, first reported by NewsChannel9, came in the form of a letter issued to Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton and the Tennessee House. You can view the letter HERE.

The resignation letter Smith penned was very short, simply stating she was resigning effectively immediately and that, “I want you to know that serving the great people of this district, and indeed, all of Tennessee, has truly been an honor. I have resigned with the deepest of humility and out of respect for the role of public service.”

About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career.  Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others.  He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com