Mystery Hillary Memo Surfaces

N E W   Y O R K, July 19 -- First lady and New York Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton today dismissed charges that she used an anti-Semitic slur in 1974 — even as a campaign memo surfaced that encourages backers to obscure their ties to the campaign while speaking to reporters on Mrs. Clinton’s behalf.

“I’ve said all I’m going to say about this,” Mrs. Clinton said today, responding again to a claim by Paul Fray, manager of President Clinton’s failed 1974 congressional campaign, that the first lady called him a “Jew bastard” in an election-night argument.

“It wasn’t true, it didn’t happen and I’m not going to allow it to distract from the real issues of this campaign,” Mrs. Clinton added at an Albany news conference.

The Clinton campaign confirmed today that the memo, a copy of which was obtained by ABCNEWS, was written by Karen Adler, her point person on Jewish issues. The memo, addressed to the first lady’s “Jewish Advisory Group,” encourages supporters to place calls to reporters covering the Senate race for Jewish newspapers, but asks that the callers present themselves as “concerned citizens.”

“It is important that you do not say you are calling because the campaign asked you to, but because you are outraged with what was said about her,” the memo reads. “The most important thing is to let them know that you know Hillary and you know that she would never make these kinds of anti-Semitic or racist comments.”

The memo also includes a series of “talking points” that highlight alleged inconsistencies about the allegation.

Adler has made numerous calls to Jewish leaders herself in recent days, pleading Mrs. Clinton’s case.

When asked about the memo, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Clinton said only that the campaign was “gratified by the outpouring of support” they have received since the charge came to light.