Tennessee's Republican House speaker refused to step down over racist and lewd texts he exchanged with his disgraced former chief of staff, and complained no one would be qualified to serve elected office if he's forced out.
Speaker Glen Casada apologized for racists texts sent by former top aide Cade Cothren as part of a group chat the GOP leader took part in, but he insists he didn't see that message, reported WREG-TV.
All 17 members of Tennessee’s Black Caucus of State Legislators asked Casada to step down after meeting with the GOP lawmaker, saying he had failed his moral duty as House speaker.
Recently revealed texts also show Casada made lewd remarks about young women in a text message exchange with Cothren, then the speaker's chief of staff, and he has been accused of tampering with evidence in a black activist's criminal case.
Cothren, who also served as the Tennessee House Republican caucus press secretary, resigned last week after the text messages came out, and he admitted using cocaine in his legislative office several years ago.
An acquaintance turned over text messages that show Cothren referring to black people as idiots and describing Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston as a "tough n*gger."
Activist Justin Jones was charged with assault Feb. 28 after police said he threw a cup of coffee that struck Casada in an elevator, and he was ordered not to have contact with the speaker while out on bond.
Cothren sent prosecutors emails between Jones and Casada that he claimed to show the activist had violated his bond conditions, but the district attorney's office received emails with dates from before and after Jones was arrested.
Cothren and Casada admitted the email was sent before Jones was arrested, but claim the message was not delivered until March 1 due to a security issue in the legislature's email server, and insist it was not edited or altered.
At least seven Republican House members have publicly called on Casada to resign as speaker, although other GOP lawmakers may have privately expressed the same position.
Casada, for now, is resisting those calls and has sought to assure Republicans that no more damaging information will come out.
“I think that it’s important that I stay because if two texts run someone out of office, then there is no one qualified,” Casada said. “We’ve got members all across the community that have done things that are not excusable and they’re still in leadership roles. I did those two texts. I’ve sought and received forgiveness for it, and so now it’s time to put the House back together.”
The state's House Ethics Committee was scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the allegations against Casada.
