Since the Associated Press reported on October 6 that Susan Ralston, a “key aide” to White House senior adviser Karl Rove and special assistant to President Bush, had resigned after a congressional report disclosed Ralston's alleged connections to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, articles by the AP and the Los Angeles Times reported on Rove's trips to support Republican candidates in the upcoming congressional elections without mentioning Ralston's resignation. Two separate October 11 AP articles reported on campaign stops Rove was planning in support of Ohio Republican congressional candidate Joy Padgett and Nebraska Republican Senate candidate Pete Ricketts, respectively, but neither story made any mention of Ralston or Abramoff. Similarly, an October 10 Los Angeles Times article that discussed Rove's predictions for the upcoming election did not note Ralston's resignation.

An October 10 AP article on “Rove's attempts to rally Republicans,” however, noted that "[l]ast week, Susan Ralston, a key aide to Rove, stepped down from her post as special assistant to President Bush" and referred to the congressional report's findings about her “extensive contacts with disgraced influence peddler Jack Abramoff.”

From the October 10 AP article:

Last week, Susan Ralston, a key aide to Rove, stepped down from her post as special assistant to President Bush. A congressional report showed she had extensive contacts with disgraced influence peddler Jack Abramoff. Ralston's resignation followed accusations that her contacts with Abramoff showed he was closer to Rove and Bush than the White House has been willing to acknowledge.

Tom Daxon, state Republican chairman, said he was "not familiar with the intricacies of what goes on in the White House, but everything I know of Karl Rove is he is an honorable man.