An August 12 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about an upcoming fundraiser for Sen. John McCain hosted in part by former Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed uncritically quoted Republican National Committee spokeswoman Katie Wright's false assertion that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), a national campaign co-chairman for Sen. Barack Obama, “took nearly $68,000 from [former Washington lobbyist Jack] Abramoff.” In fact, as Media Matters for America previously noted, while Reid received contributions from Abramoff's firm's PAC (to which Abramoff did not contribute) and from some of Abramoff's partners and clients, a Center for Responsive Politics breakdown of Abramoff's donations shows that Abramoff himself made contributions only to Republicans, not Democrats.

From the August 12 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article:

“Senator McCain knows exactly how Ralph Reed helped Jack Abramoff defraud Indian tribes out of tens of millions of dollars,” said David Donnelly, director of Campaign Money Watch. “Senator McCain should spare himself any further embarrassment by canceling this event immediately. Whose help will he accept next? Tom DeLay's?”

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Katie Wright said she found Campaign Money Watch's statement “laughable.”

“I suggest they take a closer look at Barack Obama's friends like convicted felon Tony Rezko or his national co-chairman Harry Reid, who took nearly $68,000 from Abramoff,” Wright said.