Just one day after his chief of staff resigned, House Speaker Glen Casada has named a new one.
Casada appointed Scott Gilmer, who was chief of staff under former Speaker Beth Harwell and who served as director of operations under Casada, to succeed former chief of staff Cade Cothren. The former top aide resigned Monday amid reports that he sent racist and sexist text messages (including some to Casada himself), solicited sex from interns and lobbyists, used illegal drugs in state offices and submitted incorrect information to Nashville prosecutors related to the case of Justin Jones, a black activist arrested earlier this year at the Capitol.
Casada announced Gilmer’s appointment in an email to members Tuesday morning.
But the speaker’s swift pick has done nothing to quiet outcry from the Democrats in the minority, some of whom on Tuesday called for Casada to step down from the job he’s held only since January. According to the reports from NewsChannel 5 and The Tennessean, Casada texted with Cothren about sexual encounters and explicit photographs of women. Last week, he suggested Cothren’s racist texts, one of which included him, were fabricated. During a Tuesday radio appearance, Casada called the statements “locker room talk” that he is “not proud of.”
“In the last several years, that kind of talk has not entered and left my mouth,” he added.
Casada went on to say that he would not step down and that he still enjoyed “overwhelming” support among the GOP caucus.
While Republican members, fresh off the end of the legislative session last week, have largely remained silent on the matter, Democrats spoke out this week to call for an investigation and demand Casada step down.
House Minority Leader Karen Camper (D-Memphis) called Casada’s actions “unbecoming and disrespectful.” Democratic Caucus Chair Mike Stewart of Nashville said Casada’s actions were “obviously disqualifying and he must either resign or be removed.”
Representatives from the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators held a press conference Tuesday at the legislature’s offices at which Caucus Chair G.A. Hardaway, a Memphis Democrat, said the group has not yet decided whether to call for Casada’s resignation but plans to meet in the coming days.
Still, Hardaway asked for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter, including how an email from Jones with an incorrect date ended up with Nashville prosecutors. He also asked that Casada and Gov. Bill Lee, who has so far declined to weigh in on the issue, meet with the black caucus.
Though the black caucus has so far not made a definitive statement on whether Casada should remain speaker, one of its members at the press conference, Rep. Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville), was categorical.
“An apology is not enough,” he said.
Update: Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally issued a statement Tuesday afternoon. McNally and Senate leadership are "greatly disappointed by the inappropriate actions and attitudes revealed in recent news reports," he said. Gov. Bill Lee later issued his first statement on the issue, like McNally avoiding Cothren's and Casada's names and declining to offer any proposed action.
"When we choose to enter public service, we have an obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard and cultivate an environment of professionalism and respect," Lee said. "... Recent revelations have shaken that faith, and we need to ensure that confidence is fully restored."
