Casada, Former Aide, And Other Subpoenaed Regarding PAC Audit

Photo Credit: Glen Casada / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

Several individuals, including former House Speaker Glen Casada and his former aide Cade Cothren, will be subpoenaed after state ethics and campaign finance officials decided last week to reopen an audit of the Faith Family Freedom Fund political action committee.

The Registry of Election Finance met on Thursday and voted to reopen the audit after Utah resident Sydney Friedopfer, treasurer of the PAC, stated under oath that she had been instructed by Cothren to open the PAC but then had no other participation in it.

Friedopfer says Cothren told her that “none of this was illegal” and that after she signed her name to the PAC agreement, “that was the last I heard of it.”

In addition to Casada and Cothren, the registry voted to subpoena several other individuals who potentially had information regarding the PAC:

• Representative Todd Warner of Chapel Hill

• Representative Charlie Baum of Murfreesboro

•Former Representative Rick Tillis who was unseated by Warner in August 2020

• Carol Simpson, longtime assistant for Casada

The board attempted to make it clear that the subpoenas are not an attempt to issue judgement but are simply a means of getting more information.

News sources previously reported that the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC allegedly provided funding for advertisements that were an attack on Tillis. The Fund did not disclose any of their campaign funds raised or their expenditures.

The new subpoenas appear to be just one more look into the individuals, as other investigations continue.

FBI agents swarmed the Cordell Hull legislative offices in early 2021 and also went to the homes of most of the named individuals. The investigation seems to be at least partially focused on campaign finances.

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In a Thursday text message, Casada said that he was “in no way involved” with the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC.

“I do not know why I am named as having any knowledge or involvement with this PAC as I have none,” he said.

Registry officials have stated that Casada’s subpoena was issued because he supervised Cothren.

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Warner also denies any involvement with the group.

“Myself and my campaign do not have anything to do with the PAC,” Warner stated.

Friedopfer says she was not aware of any of the finances of the PAC until well after anything was done. As treasurer, she is liable for all civil penalties that may be incurred. She was not aware of that liability until being contacted by General Counsel Lauren Topping from the Bureau of Campaign Finance.

A special meeting of the Registry will be set at a later date to continue its investigation into the case.

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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 Directory 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

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