State Sen. Darrel Aubertine’s campaign says Patty Ritchie’s separating herself from a mail effort from outside the state aimed at Aubertine is “a little late.”

The senator’s campaign has responded to a statement by his opponent for the 48th District seat, Patty Ritchie, that some mailers using negative tactics against Aubertine were not from her campaign, but from a source outside the state.

“For months, a secretive out-of-state group has been attacking on behalf of Patty Ritchie, and now she finally says it should stop?” said Drew Mangione, campaign spokesman. “This after sending emails in August -- including some to taxpayer funded email addresses on government computers -- claiming no responsibility but on the other hand calling attention to the shadowy group’s Web site.”

“It’s a little late for her to try to take a stand. She's already accepted their support and their attacks since July and fanned the flames of misinformation,” the statement from Aubertine’s campaign said.

“The fact is that these attacks have clearly been connected if not with Mrs. Ritchie then with the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, whose top targets coincidentally happen to be the focus of this Virginia firm’s Web site,” Mr. Mangione continued. “If Mrs. Ritchie does in fact want this to stop now, count this among the flip flops she’s perpetuated throughout the campaign.”