John Edwards has lost one of his top political aides in New Hampshire over a flap about e-mail messages.

Matt Spence, Edwards' deputy political director for New Hampshire, has resigned after several "distasteful" e-mails he sent were leaked to outside sources, reports the Concord Monitor.

Kate Bedingfield, a campaign spokeswoman, told the newspaper that Spence's e-mails made disparaging references to various Democratic leaders in New Hampshire. She said someone hacked into the campaign's e-mail system and sent printed copies of the e-mails to various people.

"The e-mails were composed with distasteful language in them" Bedingfield told the newspaper.

Bill Graham gave a total of $2.3 million to his political advocacy group.

According to Internal Revenue Service forms made available this week, the Salisbury attorney gave a total of $2,302,028 between December of 2005 and February of 2007 to N.C. Conservatives United, an advocacy group he started to fight the gas tax and illegal immigration.

The next largest donor was Larry T. Cloninger Jr., president of Cloninger Ford-Toyota in Salisbury, who gave a total of $100,000 in November and December of last year.

The only other donors to the group were William Frank Lee of Smithfield, who gave $6,000; Herchel Rogers Sr. of Good Neighbors New Hanover County, which gave $193; and Catherine M. Earle of Fayetteville, who gave $15.

The bulk of the money — a total of $2,292,563 — went to Fetzer Stephens, a Raleigh consulting firm, to produce ads, buy air time and give consulting services. Another $6,442 went directly to consultant Tom Fetzer, who was last paid in May, shortly before Graham announced his campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

According to the 2007 mid-year report, the group has $5,413 left.