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Judge refuses to quash search warrant in Cothren phone seizure – Tennessee Lookout [1]

['Sam Stockard', 'More From Author', '- February']

Date: 2024-02-05

A federal judge declined to quash a search warrant in the seizure of former legislative staffer Cade Cothren’s phones after federal agents seized them last week in a “cyberstalking” case, according to a report.

U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson ruled Monday that rules are established for “taint teams” to keep privileged information from being used by the prosecution, the Tennessee Journal reported.

The ruling came after prosecutors made an effort to block Cothren’s motion to quash the search warrants on his phones. Federal agents seized his devices and those of Brian Manookian and Republican activist Larry Grimes the morning of Jan. 30.

The three have been critical of House Speaker Cameron Sexton on social media, claiming he lives in Nashville rather than his district home in Crossville in addition to claiming he’s had improper relationships. Sexton has been cooperating with federal prosecutors in a corruption case against Cothren and former House Speaker Glen Casada, who are set to go to trial March 5.

Cothren argued last week that he had a large amount of privileged information dealing with business and attorney-client communications on his phones that prosecutors shouldn’t be able to use as evidence in the corruption case.

U.S. prosecutors, in a Friday filing, said Cothren had no standing to sue and argued that his motions should have been filed with U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Holmes, who signed off on the search warrants.

Cothren and Casada were indicted in a kickback scheme in which a secret vendor allegedly run by Cothren gave kickbacks to Casada and former Rep. Robin Smith for directing House Republicans’ business toward him. Cothren had to remain anonymous because he left his post as Casada’s chief of staff under a cloud.

Smith pleaded guilty in the case and is set to testify against the pair.

Federal prosecutors are seeking to postpone the trial until April or May so they can gather potential evidence from Cothren’s phone.







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[1] Url: https://tennesseelookout.com/2024/02/05/judge-refuses-to-quash-search-warrant-in-cothren-phone-seizure/

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