Hung Jury in Mass. Treasurer Corruption Trial

Accused of using taxpayer-funded lottery ads to help unsuccessful gubernatorial run

A judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the corruption case against former Massachusetts Treasurer Tim Cahill after jurors failed to reach a verdict on whether Cahill schemed to run $1.5 million in taxpayer-funded lottery ads to help his unsuccessful 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

Jurors deliberated more than 40 hours over seven days before telling Judge Christine Roach they were hopelessly deadlocked.

The case was the first real test of a 2009 state ethics law. Before the new law was passed, an allegation of conflict of interest would have been a civil rather than a criminal violation.