TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jan 7, 2026

Former Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, will avoid jail time for her role in the Phoenix Solutions affair, the Nashville Banner newsletter reports. After co-conspirators — ex-Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren — received presidential pardons, Smith filed a motion in federal court on Nov. 19 seeking reconsideration of her original sentence: eight months in prison and a $7,500 fine. Since turning government witness, Smith originally received a lighter sentence than Cothren (30 months, $25,000) and Casada (three years, $30,000). Prosecutors said in response to Smith’s motion that a year of probation with no conditions or fine was appropriate, and a federal court filing on Monday amended Smith’s sentence as such. She was originally scheduled to report to federal prison in West Virginia on Monday but will now remain free.