Former Tennessee top aide to stay on payroll until July

NASHVILLE — A former top aide for Tennessee’s embattled House speaker who resigned after admitting to once using cocaine in a legislative office and sending lewd text messages about women will continue to be paid by state taxpayers until July.

House Speaker Glen Casada accepted Chief of Staff Cade Cothren’s resignation on May 6. While the resignation was effective immediately, Cothren had accumulated more than 300 hours of vacation time.

That means Cothren will continue to stay on the state payroll until July 5.

Casada raised eyebrows earlier this year when he bumped Cothren’s salary to nearly $200,000 a year, or about $102 an hour.

Casada has been the centre of several growing scandals, including one involving recently revealed texts he exchanged years ago with Cothren containing lewd remarks about women.

Kimberlee Kruesi, The Associated Press

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