Stockard on the Stump: Former House staffer’s petition certified in spite of state penalty

By: Sam Stockard

Outlets: Tennessee Lookout

Published: March 13, 2026

Words: 1,281

Last Updated: 4 months, 3 weeks ago

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Despite a hefty penalty for setting up a bogus political action committee, embattled ex-House staffer Cade Cothren qualified to run for a House seat.

Tennessee’s Registry of Election Finance notified Cothren in late February that it levied an $80,000 civil penalty against him for eight violations. Yet the Secretary of State certified his election petition, enabling him to run in the August primary.

This is where it gets murky.

The filing deadline to run …

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