Election Finance Chair Seeks to Reopen Investigation Into Cothren, PAC - Articles

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Posted by: Julia Wilburn on May 29, 2025

The chair of Tennessee’s Registry of Election Finance, Tom Lawless, said Tuesday he will seek to revive a 2020 request for a criminal investigation into Cade Cothren and the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC, citing new evidence from the recently concluded federal corruption case against Cothren and former House Speaker Glen Casada. Cothren, a former aide to Casada, and Casada were convicted this month on nearly 20 federal charges each in a kickback scheme. Lawless emphasized the urgency of reactivating the state-level investigation, which had been paused during the federal proceedings. The case involves allegations of illegal coordination with Chapel Hill Republican Rep. Todd Warner's 2020 campaign against incumbent Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg, which Warner went on to win. Warner is not facing criminal charges. The Tennessee Lookout has the story.