In repeated Twitter posts today, Laura Ingraham claimed that “sources” have told her that Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) -- who she referred to as “Bawney Fwank” -- will not run for re-election and that he instead "[w]ants to work on the board of a bank and make $ before retirement."

But in a statement obtained by Media Matters, Frank called the story “entirely false” and added that Ingraham “made no attempt to verify whether or not this is true - which it is not.”

Frank's statement, released by his campaign committee, reads:

In the latest of example of how the right wing disseminates lies, Laura Ingraham today spread an entirely false story suggesting that I plan not to run for re-election this year. She made no attempt to verify whether or not this is true - which it is not. In fact, my supporters in Massachusetts have already been doing me the favor of circulating my nomination papers, a process which I and other members of Congress must do every two years when we run for re-election.

This is the same right-wing technique of spreading a lie that was used last fall by John Fund of the Wall Street Journal editorial board, who falsely claimed that I planned to introduce “universal voter legislation” which, according to him, would undermine free elections. This also has no basis in reality whatsoever. Like Ingraham, he made no effort to verify his claim. And even when presented with evidence that it was false, he refused to publicly retract it. The story was picked up by right-wing radio and television and was heard by millions.

There is one good thing about this new incident - people can see clearly that the right wing has again spread a complete lie without making the slightest effort to verify it, and in the future many people will pay no attention whatsoever to her “reporting.”

From Ingraham's Twitter feed, accessed on April 9: