Cahill defends self, to appear in court Wednesday

QUINCY, Mass. (WHDH) -- Former state treasurer Tim Cahill spoke out and defended himself against charges that he used taxpayer-funded ads to promote the lottery and boost his gubernatorial race back in 2010.

“The Attorney General has alleged that I used public resources to run a campaign ad, I did not,” Cahill said. “My job as treasurer was to maximize revenue for the lottery, which we did. Which I did. That was my job and I performed that duty with or without a campaign.”

Cahill will face a judge on Wednesday now that he has been indicted on four public corruption charges, including conspiracy to violate the state’s tough ethics law.

Attorney General Martha Coakley says Cahill improperly spend $1.5 million in taxpayer money on advertisements over an eight-week span, which coincided with his campaign. Coakley says the ads were for the Massachusetts State Lottery, touting its leadership.

“We allege Treasurer Cahill made a decision with others to abuse his position of trust and put his own political ambition before the best interest of the taxpayers,” Coakley said.

Cahill says it was appropriate and legal for the lottery to run its ads in response to the Republican Governor's Association attacks on the integrity of the lottery.

“It was the right thing for them to do, knowing what I knew then and even what I know today we'd do it again, because it was the right thing to do,” Cahill said. “We will fight these charges and do whatever we have to do to clear my name and my reputation.”

The advertisements ran in the weeks leading up to the 2010 gubernatorial election, won by Governor Deval Patrick. Cahill finished a distant third.

Cahill is well known and largely still well liked in Quincy. On Tuesday he had a message for supporters saying, “Keep supporting me. Just keep supporting me and believing in me and trust me.”

Cahill spoke for less than a minute outside of his Quincy home Tuesday. He took no questions, but promised to speak more after his arraignment on Wednesday.

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