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Former Tennessee House staffer Cade Cothren’s hopes of rising from the ashes of political despair took a dousing Thursday when the state’s campaign finance watchdog slapped him with an $80,000 civil penalty for misleading the state about a 2019 political action committee.
Attorneys for Cothren, who received a presidential pardon in December 2025 that cleared him of a separate conviction on federal fraud and bribery convictions, will appeal to an administrative law court or chancery court.
The penalties could make Cothren’s plans to run for the House District 71 seat held by Republican Rep. Kip Capley harder because if he refuses to pay the penalty he would be ineligible.
Timing is a factor, too, because it could take weeks for the Registry to issue an order, then Cothren would have to come up with the money to qualify for the election by the March 10 filing deadline. That is, unless he finds a way to wade through the courts before then.
Registry chairman wants district attorney investigation of former state staffer’s secret PAC
The Registry of Election Finance issued penalties of $10,000 each for eight violations in connection with Cothren’s secret formation of the Faith Family Freedom Fund political action committee by persuading a former girlfriend to form the PAC and list herself as treasurer so he could run it covertly. The Registry board subpoenaed Cothren in 2022 after the woman, Sydney Friedopfer, testified that in addition to asking her to set up the PAC, Cothren told her to ignore questions from the Registry.
Cothren declined to comply with the subpoena, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and still hasn’t appeared before the board to explain the situation.
The PAC raised and spent about $7,000 in an effort to defeat now-former Rep. Rick Tillis of Lewisburg, who was beaten by Republican Rep. Todd Warner of Chapel Hill, a Cothren supporter. The committee listed a North Carolina restaurateur named Brandon Crawford as the only donor, but during its investigation that started three years ago, the Registry couldn’t turn up such a person.
Instead of showing up to testify, Cothren enlisted the help of Nashville attorneys Rob Peal and Erik Lybeck of Sims Funk for a hearing to argue that the Registry board doesn’t have the authority to penalize a person for inaccuracies about a campaign treasurer. The Registry can assess penalties only against a committee or candidate, and Cothren was neither of those, they said. Additionally, they said that in 2020 there was no definition for a campaign treasurer in state law dealing with the Registry board.
Following changes in state law, any attempt to impose new requirements retroactively would be unconstitutional, they added.
Registry sends Cothren subpoena to AG’s Office after he refuses to testify, claims the Fifth
Peal and Lybeck also raised questions about proper notice and burden of proof.
“Look, this investigation is about a treasurer appointment form filed six years ago related to a political action committee that received a single contribution and spent something in the neighborhood of $7,000,” Peal said.
It might have seemed insignificant when the Registry board dismissed a complaint filed by Tillis’ campaign coordinator alleging illegal collusion. Yet it referred the matter to the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office for a criminal investigation before putting it on hold for three years as Cothren and his former boss, ex-House Speaker Glen Casada fought federal corruption charges. They were convicted on multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy in May 2025 but received a presidential pardon that cleared them.
“I also understand from my review of the media stories on this matter and the minutes that some of you may not like Mr. Cothren. You built me a tiny record on that,” Peal said.
But he said the General Assembly didn’t delegate authority to the Registry to assess penalties against Cothren before making a veiled threat.
“This case, I promise you, is not the test case that you want us to bring in front of the appellate courts to determine” the Registry’s powers, Peal said.
Ultimately, though, Registry members Tom Lawless and Hank Fincher said the board would be “gutted” if it weren’t able to levy penalties against someone who misled the state and violated campaign finance rules.
Lawless pointed out that Friedopher was “clueless” about the matter and didn’t create any bank accounts or raise and spend money. He added that “transparency” is critical to the public.
It means that someone who completely defies the statute, never files anything … never registers for anything, spends all sorts of money, theoretically violated the campaign limits as well, we don’t have any authority. I don’t think that’s what was intended by the legislature.
– Henry Fincher, Tennessee Registry of Election Finance
Registry and ethics executive director Bill Young also told Peal and Lybeck during the hearing that under the 2020 law, which he read, treasurers also were considered liable for campaign activities, presenting a bit of a stumbling block for their argument.
The board’s final decision, in which it determined it gave proper notice for the hearing, found that Cothren was the political action committee and broke numerous state laws. In fact, he never contradicted the woman’s sworn testimony, and neither did his new attorneys, they said.
Cothren also told an FBI agent when his apartment was raided in 2022 that he formed the Faith Family Freedom Fund.
“It means that someone who completely defies the statute, never files anything … never registers for anything, spends all sorts of money, theoretically violated the campaign limits as well, we don’t have any authority,” said Fincher, an attorney and former Democratic lawmaker. “I don’t think that’s what was intended by the legislature. I don’t think that’s what the plain text of the statute is.”
Despite the board’s unanimity, if history teaches us anything, this case could drag on like a long, hot summer or, if the forecasters are correct, a foot-deep snowstorm.
Leaving the past behind
The new owners of Sen. Brent Taylor’s funeral homes in the Collierville area are distancing themselves from him and sent out a statement this week letting people know he is no longer connected with the company in any way.
“As part of our commitment to serving Collierville with compassion, professionalism and neutrality, we recognize the importance of clarity for the families who rely on us,” the company said, noting it is rebranding the company. “We understand that recent public statements and political commentary made by the former owner do not reflect the values, mission, or beliefs of our current leadership.”
Amid mixed reviews, Taylor strongly supports the deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis as part of a Safe Task Force ordered by President Donald Trump, with support from Gov. Bill Lee. The Republican senator also supports creation of a state-appointed board with authority over the Memphis Shelby County School Board and has been calling for removal of District Attorney Steve Mulroy for a couple of years. In addition, he’s known for making remarks that some might find pithy but others consider demeaning.
A Fox 13 Memphis report contained a statement from Taylor in which he said he sold his business four years ago for millions of dollars and signed a non-disparagement clause.
“So, I will enjoy the money the out-of-state private equity firm paid me while I continue to Make Memphis Matter by Making Memphis Safe. The community can determine if they think the new owners run those businesses as well as I did.”
Taylor added that the company is off to a good start because the check to him “cleared the bank.”
Collecting the money, after all, is the most important thing. Always be closing.
“Don’t do it, Ron!”
During the great – or not so great – voucher vote of 2019, House lawmakers called out to Republican Rep. Ron Gant not to flip his vote and support the bill. “Don’t do it, Ron!” they cried.
To his credit, he didn’t.
Just a year earlier, he dropped another great idea, renaming the Cordell Hull Building, meant to honor the nation’s longest-serving secretary of state, for former Gov. Winfield Dunn, whom he considers a political hero.
Dunn, though, said to this reporter that he asked Gant not to do it.
Following a short news report, Gant decided against sponsoring the legislation and laid the blame on this reporter for killing his bill. It wasn’t pretty.
Now comes a plan by Gant to name the old Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Plaza being renovated across the street from the Capitol for Dunn, according to the Tennessee Journal.
The former governor, who died in September 2024, is no longer around to express humility.
The late Sen. Douglas Henry and former Rep. Bill Purcell of Nashville sponsored the bill naming the War Memorial Plaza in 1995 saying it was done to “appropriately honor the memory of those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to preserve the precious freedoms of democracy and to ensure the freedom and prosperity of future generations,” the Tennessee Journal reported.
No doubt, Dunn recognized his duty, signing up for the Navy at age 17 and serving in the Pacific in World War II before becoming a reserve lieutenant in the Air Force. Yet he lived to the ripe age of 97, which is pretty incredible for someone who fought in the war and served as governor.
The question is whether lawmakers will once again holler, “Don’t do it, Ron!”
“School’s out forever”
The legislature declared Thursday that lawmakers won’t hold committee meetings or floor sessions next week in light of the snow storm expected to hit Nashville Saturday and Sunday. The House could hold some meetings Wednesday.
Will lawmakers who don’t go home sled down Capitol Hill again, endangering their lives? Will bourbon be served in the legislative library? The bigger question is: What will we do to fill the void in our lives?
“Like a dog without a bone, an actor out on loan/ Riders on the storm/ Yeah.” *
* The Doors, “Riders on the Storm”
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