Disgraced former House Speaker Glen Casada aide Cade Cothren fights search warrant in phone seizure, alleged “cyberstalking” of current Speaker Cameron Sexton ( tennesseelookout.com )

Federal agents raided the homes and seized the phones of three vocal critics of House Speaker Cameron Sexton in connection with a“cyberstalking” investigation, documents show.

The search warrant targeted Cade Cothren, former chief of staff to former House Speaker Glen Casada, both of whom are set to go on trial in March on federal corruption charges. A judge handling the case ordered U.S. prosecutors Friday to explain the seizure of Cothren’s filing claims federal agents raided his Nashville home shortly before 6 a.m. Tuesday and took four cell phones, using a search warrant in connection with a “cyberstalking” investigation.

The warrant also targeted Brian Manookian of Brentwood in Williamson County and Larry Grimes, according to documents. Manookian has been highly critical of House Speaker Cameron Sexton in online posts, accusing him of living in Nashville instead of Crossville where he claims to live and targeting his personal life. Grimes is a former Republican Executive Committee member believed to be an X account critical of Sexton.

Sexton has been cooperating with federal agents in their investigation of Cothren in a Capitol Hill corruption probe.

Cothren contends the search warrant served on him and others is “overbroad and constitutionally invalid,” claiming it is “limitless in scope” and allows the governor “to search within every nook and cranny” of his cell phone for evidence related to a “cyberstalking” investigation and more.

Cothren filed a motion with U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson to quash a search warrant and requested an immediate protective order prohibiting the processing or review of materials.

U.S. attorneys said in a court document filed Thursday the phones taken from Cothren and other individuals in raids early Tuesday could provide evidence in a corruption probe of Casada and Cothren and sought to postpone their March trial.