In a September 13 article by staff writer Anne C. Mulkern, The Denver Post uncritically repeated the false claim -- which it attributed to Americans Have Had Enough Coalition president Garland McCoy -- that Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) “has no connection” to McCoy. Similarly, on the September 13 broadcast of his radio show, KHOW-AM host Peter Boyles falsely claimed the coalition “had no connection to Tancredo.” In fact, Tancredo serves as the honorary chairman of the group, which says it is “dedicated to restoring [the] core conservative principles.”

Mulkern's Post article was about a controversial Americans Have Had Enough Coalition fundraiser that Tancredo attended September 9 in Columbia, South Carolina. The Rocky Mountain News reported that “Tancredo gave his standard immigration stump speech” at the event and that "[t]here were Confederate flags in the room, and he [Tancredo] joined audience members in singing the Southern anthem Dixie." Similarly, Mulkern's article stated, “The Southern Poverty Law Center [SPLC] went to Saturday's museum event and reported details on its website, saying Tancredo 'addressed the standing-room audience of 200 to 250 from behind a podium draped in a Confederate battle flag.' ”

A September 11 SPLC article stated that the South Carolina “chapter of the League of the South (LOS), a neo-Confederate hate group, hosted [the] barbeque in honor of Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo.” Mulkern's article subsequently reported that the South Carolina chapter of the LOS “falsely claimed to have sponsored the event,” and the Rocky Mountain News has reported that the chapter has since said it did not organize the event.

Mulkern's Post article reported that “McCoy, president of a political-activist group called Americans Have Had Enough, said his organization threw the event, which he said was open to anyone. McCoy said he started the group, that he has no connection to Tancredo and that the event was a fundraiser for his group, not for Tancredo.” Similarly, Boyles asserted: “The organization is an activist group called Americans Have Had Enough. And there is a guy called Garland McCoy, who is the head of it; hopefully we can get Mr. McCoy on the show -- do it this morning. They had no connection with Tancredo.”

But the assertions that Tancredo has “no connection” to McCoy or the Americans Have Had Enough Coalition are false. On its website, the coalition identifies Tancredo as the group's “Honorary Chairman,” and his picture is featured prominently on the home page. The website also states:

The Americans Have Had Enough Coalition was formed in order to help our citizens understand the government-supported maze of special-interest legislation and to effectively expose and hopefully defeat elected officials who are responsible for such irresponsible laws that are slowly crushing our United States. Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) has agreed to serve as our honorary chairman. His knowledge, courage and leadership will help US in the struggle to save our country from the tyranny that we call government. [Emphasis in original.]

A link above Tancredo's picture on the home page of the Americans Have Had Enough Coalition website takes the user to Tancredo's House of Representatives website.

Later September 13, on that day's broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Mike Rosen Show, Tancredo confirmed he is the honorary chair of Americans Have Had Enough. He told Rosen the event in question “was held by one organization called Americans Have Had Enough.org. I am the honorary chairman of the group.” According to Tancredo:

TANCREDO: One of those events was the one to which these articles is referring -- it was held at the South Carolina State Museum. It was held by an organization called Americans Have Had Enough.org. I am the honorary chairman of the group. It put out the information -- it put radio ads on, announcing that I was coming. It was open to the public. There was no other organization involved with sponsoring my speech or tour -- whatever you want to call it. This other organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center finds objectionable may have been there at this event. I certainly don't know, but they did not sponsor it.

From Mulkern's September 13 Post article:

Rep. Tom Tancredo found himself snared in controversy Tuesday over a speech he gave in South Carolina that attracted the attention of a neo-Confederate group, which falsely claimed to have sponsored the event.

[...]

The Southern Poverty Law Center went to Saturday's museum event and reported details on its website, saying Tancredo “addressed the standing-room audience of 200 to 250 from behind a podium draped in a Confederate battle flag.”

[...]

But Garland McCoy, president of a political-activist group called Americans Have Had Enough, said his organization threw the event, which he said was open to anyone. McCoy said he started the group, that he has no connection to Tancredo and that the event was a fundraiser for his group, not for Tancredo.

The congressman signed and sold his new book there, however, at $25 a copy.

From the September 13 broadcast of The Peter Boyles Show:

BOYLES: Tancredo was in Columbia as part of a series that he has been appearing across the country -- or went to this. And it was held in a museum, and said Tancredo addressed the standing-room audience of 200 to 250 people from behind a podium draped in a Confederate battle flag. Well, it was in a museum of the South. It was at the South Carolina State Museum. The organization is an activist group called Americans Have Had Enough. And there's a guy named Garland McCoy, who is the head of it; hopefully we can get Mr. McCoy on the show -- do it this morning. They had no connection with Tancredo. The event was a fundraiser for his group, not for Tancredo -- Tancredo spoke and sold his new book.