Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his sidekick Cade Cothren just got their "get out of jail free" cards straight from the White House, in the form of a presidential pardon, proving that sometimes crime really does pay — especially if you're sufficiently loyal to Dear Leader.

Meet "Matthew Phoenix," the business mogul who existed only in the fevered imaginations of Casada's corruption crew. This phantom entrepreneur even signed IRS documents, which takes guts, considering he was about as real as Casada's integrity.

Casada's girlfriend played Phoenix's "associate." The charade netted them roughly $52,000 in taxpayer funds, with a net profit loss of less than $5,000. So they're not just crooked, they're spectacularly bad crooks. 00:00/02:20 10

The best part? Cothren had pre

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