WASHINGTON — The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is calling on the Tennessee Republican House Caucus to expel Speaker Glen Casada for his involvement in racist, misogynistic texts — and his attempts to rig an ethics review of his actions.
“Tennessee Republicans must put basic morality over partisan politics and immediately expel the speaker from their conference. Anything short of expelling Casada is an endorsement of his disgusting racist and misogynistic conversations,” said DLCC Executive Director Jessica Post.
Today, the House Republican Caucus supported a no-confidence vote in the speaker, but the declaration is non-binding and carries no actual consequences for the embattled speaker who refuses to resign.
The Republican House Caucus bylaws allow for expulsion with a four-fifths majority vote, which would ban Casada from caucus meetings and access to caucus funds — but it would not strip him of his speakership or office.
“The Tennessee House Republican Caucus is in chaos. The speaker’s shameful actions will cast a shadow over the General Assembly and the Republican Party as long as Casada remains in office,” Post said. “If Tennessee Republicans won’t do the right thing and expel him — the voters will remove all of them next November.”
The Tennessee House Ethics Committee is also investigating Casada for his involvement in the lewd and racist text conversation with his former chief of staff, who was forced to resign earlier this month. New evidence unveiled from a fellow Republican on the committee shows the speaker attempted to rig the review with an egregious exonerating advisory opinion from his handpicked allies.
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