A Democratic political aide fired for suggesting that her boss's election opponent was being financed by Jews says she is no anti-Semite.

U.S. Rep. Michael McMahon, of Staten Island, dismissed campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Nelson Thursday after she gave the New York Observer a list of people with Jewish-sounding names who had given money to Republican candidate Mike Grimm.

The document was entitled, "Grimm Jewish Money Q2.''

Nelson also told the paper Grimm was financing his campaign with "a lot of Jewish money.''

Nelson told the Staten Island Advance in an e-mail Friday that anti-Semitism "has zero to do with why that list exists.''

McMahon called Nelson's actions unauthorized and "entirely inappropriate.''

Her dismissal was praised by groups including the Anti-Defamation League.