Former Treasurer Tim Cahill pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning in Superior Court to four public corruption charges leveled against him earlier this week by Attorney General Martha Coakley and his trial date was set for Sept. 24.
Cahill is accused with two aides in connection with the launch a $1.5 million Lottery ad campaign in September 2010 that investigators say were intended to boost his campaign for governor.
Cahill has indicated the ads were intended to counter Republican Governors Association ads questioning his management of the Lottery and to maximize agency profits, which are delivered to municipalities in the form of local aid.
The case could test a 2009 ethics reform law that criminalized certain ethics violations that had long been considered civil infractions.
Cahill wore a gray suit to his arraignment in Boston and was not accompanied by family members.
Cahill attorney E. Peter Parker suggested a summer trial. “We’re ready to go,” Parker said.
After his arraignment, Cahill read a statement in which he said he knew the risk of criticism for the ads, but restated his claim that he did nothing wrong. After reading his statement, he declined to take questions about the ethics and procurement fraud charges against him.
On “Greater Boston” Tuesday night, Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) said Cahill is far from alone in using public resources to support political goals.
“I think there’s coordination in other agencies. Look at all the press flacks that different agencies have,” he said. He added that he expected more “shoes were going to drop” in a simmering Probation Department patronage scandal before anything would come of allegations against Cahill.
“I’m surprised it was brought,” he said of Coakley’s indictment.