The Tennessean reports:
House Speaker Glen Casada said Tuesday he will not resign from his leadership position, despite participating in sexually charged text messages with his now former chief of staff.
Speaking to WTN’s Brian Wilson, the Franklin Republican said he had no intentions to step down, adding, “I’m sorry that I did it and I’m embarrassed that I did it.”
Casada’s comments come after the Tennessean published a story featuring text messages sent from a cellphone number associated with Cade Cothren, Casada’s now former top aide and the Republican lawmaker. On Tuesday, Casada downplayed the remarks as locker room talk between two adult men.
USA Today reports that the text messages included “soliciting oral sex and naked photos from an intern” and “calling Metro police officers who gave him parking tickets ‘rent a cop cocksuckers.'”
More from Splinter News:
Cothren and Casada are also involved in a bizarre saga in which they allegedly framed black student activist Justin Jones for violating a no contact order and doctoring an email supposedly sent by Jones.
“You have some of the most powerful people in this state who are willing to file a false report and to file a false paperwork and to manipulate paperwork to take your freedom away,” Jones told News Channel 5. “That’s something that’s scary.”
Exhibit 2: @NC5 provided this image to @GlenCasada chief of staff Cade Cothren to give him a chance to respond. He has not responded. pic.twitter.com/qZbdViKBsU
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) May 2, 2019
Exhibit 3: @NC5 provided this image to @GlenCasada chief of staff Cade Cothren to give him a chance to respond. He has not responded. pic.twitter.com/f7oMh5a4xG
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) May 2, 2019
Exhibit 4: A text exchange with @GlenCasada himself about deployment of field operatives to districts. Both Casada and Cothren were given a chance to respond. Neither did. pic.twitter.com/NQhzjWyYNo
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) May 2, 2019
Updated with statement from @GlenCasada – and suddenly discovered emails https://t.co/p8rdvNslyh
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) May 2, 2019
“Revelations about Cothren’s inappropriate sexual advances and text messages come after Casada’s chief of staff admitted to using cocaine in the legislature’s office building. Cothren is also facing scrutiny over racist text messages.” https://t.co/bYqOT3vqQ1
— Sammy Roth (@Sammy_Roth) May 6, 2019
TN Speaker Glen Casada’s chief of staff who sent racist n-word texts, snorted cocaine in the Capitol complex, solicited sex from interns, and is under DA investigation has resigned effective immediately.
Now it’s time for Speaker Casada to do the same. https://t.co/MawwcS1Vn2
— Christopher J. Hale (@chrisjollyhale) May 6, 2019