Just 18 days ahead of Election Day, the Massachusetts Lottery now says it is pulling its ads from the air after accusations that the Cahill campaign may have been trying to benefit from them.

Massachusetts state attorney general Martha Coakley will be investigating to see if there was any collaboration between Cahill's campaign and the state lottery. As part of his job as Massachusetts treasurer, Cahill oversees the lottery and has agreed to pull the multi-million dollar ad blitz while the allegations are looked into.

Cahill, who is running as an Independent for governor, never appears in the ad. But e-mails released in a lawsuit Cahill has filed against some of his former staffers suggest that an adviser in his campaign may have had a hand in the lottery spot.

The e-mail reads, "Get the lottery immediately cutting a spot and get it up. Needs to focus on the lottery being the best in the country and above reproach."

That kind of planning is illegal. Cahill denies any accusations that the spot was orchestrated by his campaign.

"I don't know what he was doing when I was there and who he was talking to, obviously," he said. "I didn't know because they were sabotaging my campaign."

"I think it all just violates what we've said all along, which is that this lawsuit was a dispute between Cahill and his staff and had nothing to do with us, and I think the treasurer has some questions to answer," said Republican candidate Charlie Baker.

"For me and I think for most voters, the political news from the other campaigns is a distraction on the side show," said governor Deval Patrick. "My focus is on jobs."

Cahill has pledged to continue ahead in his campaign despite a recent poll showing him trailing incumbent Deval Patrick by more than 35 points.

Also today, Patrick's former rival and former Democratic attorney general Tom Reilly says he is endorsing Baker in the race.