Former legislative staffer Cade Cothren with Ava Korby outside the Fred D. Thompson Federal Courthouse before his sentencing on 16 counts of corruption. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

A former House staffer was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine for his role in a kickback scheme using the state’s constituent mailer program.

Cade Cothren, who resigned as chief of staff to former Speaker Glen Casada in 2019, will also be required to remain on probation for one year after serving his time in federal prison. Attorneys for Cothren said they would appeal the convictions from a four-week jury trial in April and May.

Casada’s sentencing hearing was postponed until Sept. 23 because of the length of time it took to go through Cothren’s sentencing

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