FBI raid tennessee offices election
© Stephanie Amador / The TennesseanA few FBI agents hold boxes inside the elevator, heading to Kent Calfee and Glen Casada's office at the Cordell Hull State Office Building in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. It's unknown what they are searching for.
Federal agents descended on multiple Tennessee Republican House members' homes and state offices on Friday, collecting evidence while executing search warrants as part of an unspecified investigation just days before the legislative session begins.

Nearly a dozen agents from the FBI entered the Cordell Hull legislative office building just before 8 a.m., fanning out into multiple offices for several hours before leaving with boxes full of items.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee confirmed the FBI visited the homes of former House Speaker Glen Casada, R-Franklin; Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson; Rep. Todd Warner, R-Chapel Hill; and former Casada aide Cade Cothren. They also went to a business associated with Warner.


According to multiple people with knowledge of the investigation, agents searched their homes, arriving around 7 a.m.

The FBI also searched the office of Rep. Kent Calfee, R-Kingston, though House Speaker Cameron Sexton said he understood that Calfee "is not part of the investigation." Calfee's legislative assistant, however, has been placed on administrative leave in connection with the inquiry.
Rep. Kent Calfee, R-Kingston,
© WKRNRep. Kent Calfee, R-Kingston, Tennesse
Warner was just elected to the legislature this past fall, beating former Rep. Rick Tillis in an August Republican primary.

"This has been a trying week for our country, and this will be a difficult time for our state as well as we go down this road," Sexton said during a late-morning news conference about the raids.

"Personally, these are our friends and colleagues of ours that we've worked with for many years. It's important to remember that this is just the start of the investigation and the process, and not the end. Today does not necessarily imply guilt."

The 112th General Assembly convenes for the year on Tuesday.

Sexton, R-Crossville, said he placed three staff members on paid administrative leave in connection with the case. According to legislative administrative director Connie Ridley, Sexton's interim chief of staff Holt Whitt was among those placed on leave.

Agents visited Whitt's home Friday morning, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Whitt was a carryover in the speaker's office from when Casada was in charge, despite the rest of Casada's former staff members leaving the speaker's office.

Nadine Korby, the legislative assistant for Calfee, and Carol Simpson, Casada's longtime assistant, were also placed on paid leave.

Sexton said he believed it was the best decision for the employees to remain on paid leave for an indefinite amount of time "since they're part of an active investigation."

Sexton said he was contacted by the FBI about the investigation "since becoming speaker" in August 2019, though he declined to say when he first learned about it.

Gov. Bill Lee acknowledged agents' activity during a Friday morning briefing.

"I've spoken with Speaker Sexton this morning and I'm aware of the FBI raids," Lee said. "It's certainly very concerning. I know very little about that. There's been no FBI outreach to us but I am confident that Speaker Sexton is on top of this situation as it unfolds."

An agent stood guard outside the office of Casada, who resigned from his position as speaker in 2019 following a vote of no-confidence from the House Republican Caucus.

Agents were also posted outside of the offices of Smith and Calfee, leaving with cardboard boxes full of various items.

Facility staff were seen using a drill to help agents unlock a desk in Calfee's office.

A spokesperson for the FBI referred comments to the office of Don Cochran, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

David Boling, spokesman for Cochran, said he could only acknowledge agents' presence at the building and at the various homes searched.

Neither Casada nor Smith immediately returned requests for comment.

Reached by phone, Warner kept his comments brief.

"I am not even sworn in yet," Warner said on Friday afternoon before directing all questions to his legal counsel.

Reached by phone Friday morning, Calfee said was not aware that agents were in his office.

"I didn't have a clue," Calfee said Friday morning. "I hadn't heard."

An attorney for Whitt, Ty Howard, confirmed his client was one of several people "contacted" by FBI agents Friday as part of their investigation.

"Mr. Whitt is a well-respected legislative aide with an impeccable reputation, and he has not been charged with any wrongdoing," Howard said. "He is cooperating fully with the investigation."

Former speaker again facing scrutiny

Casada resigned as speaker in 2019 just months after first being sworn in to preside over the House. After spending years growing his campaign war chest and doling out money to fellow Republicans, Casada was nominated by his caucus to be speaker in November 2018, and was sworn in the following January.

He quickly implemented sweeping changes in the House, including expanding the committee system to create additional chairmanships for his allies.

In spring 2019, Casada pushed through the passage of Lee's controversial school voucher legislation after holding a tied vote board open 40 minutes as legislators were urged to flip their votes.

By May, Casada was pressured to announce his resignation once the caucus voted they no longer had confidence in his leadership after news reports broke of the speaker sending racist and sexist text messages.

Cothren also resigned from his chief of staff post in May 2019 after admitting to previously consuming cocaine in the state office building and after text messages surfaced revealing inappropriate behavior toward legislative interns.

Smith, a former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party, is a close ally of Casada. She has long been involved in Republican campaign work, and this fall ran unsuccessfully for the House GOP Caucus chair.

While the FBI has not reported taking any legislators or staff into custody in connection with the current investigation, federal authorities this summer arrested Sen. Katrina Robinson, D-Memphis, on dozens of charges.

Robinson was indicted on 24 counts of theft and embezzlement from government programs and 24 counts of wire fraud after allegedly used federal grant money from her for-profit nursing college to buy a vehicle for her daughter, pay wedding and honeymoon expenses legal fees for her divorce and other purchases.

Meghan Mangrum and Mike Christen contributed to this report.
Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.