The corruption case against former state Treasurer Tim Cahill is now in the hands of the jury. Cahill is accused of illegally spending one and a half million dollars on Lottery ads in 2010 – ads the prosecution says were really meant to boost Cahill’s run for governor. Cahill’s prosecution follows a slew of other corruption cases in Massachusetts. But while former state Senator Dianne Wilkerson, former Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner, and former House Speaker Sal DiMasi all went to prison — some say all Cahill did was practice politics as usual. In his closing argument, Cahill’s attorney Jeffrey Denner said his client’s mistake was dreaming big – and underestimating the vindictiveness of the Democratic Party.

Adam Reilly has been covering the trial for WGBH. He spoke with Emily Rooney on Boston Public Radio. 

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