THE LAGOS STATE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT OFFICE (LSWMO), YESTERDAY, SEALED OFF SOME BUILDINGS/PROPERTIES ACROSS THE STATE OVER DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL INFRACTIONS.(PHOTO). #PRESS RELEASE
President Trump has granted pardons to former Tennessee state House Speaker Glen Casada (R) and his ex-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, both previously convicted on corruption charges.
A White House official defended the move, claiming the Department of Justice “significantly over-prosecuted these individuals for a minor issue involving constituent mailers,” which reportedly generated less than $5,000 in net profit and drew no complaints from legislators. The official criticized the DOJ for pursuing harsh penalties, including armed raids and sentences exceeding 10 years, normally reserved for large-scale fraud cases.
Casada and Cothren were sentenced in September to three years and two and a half years in prison, respectively, after being accused of orchestrating a scheme to secure taxpayer-funded mail contracts from other state lawmakers. Casada was convicted on 17 charges, while Cothren was found guilty on all 19 counts in a trial that began in April. Casada had resigned in 2019 following a no-confidence vote from fellow Tennessee Republicans.
Trump has previously issued pardons to other politicians involved in corruption cases, including former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland (R), former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), and former Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.).
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