An August 2007 article published on the Newsmax blog indicates that Sen. Barack Obama was in church during a controversial sermon by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama said on Friday that he was unaware of the kind of rhetoric Wright had used and that he was never in church when Wright made derogatory comments about the United States.

The Obama campaign has told members of the press that Senator Obama was not in church on the day cited in the report, July 22, 2007, because he was scheduled to give a speech in Miami on that day.

Newsmax writer Jim Davis says he attended several services at Obama’s church during the month of July, including on July 22. “Davis stands by his story that during one of the services he attended during the month of July, Senator Obama was present and sat through the sermon given by Rev. Wright as described in the story,” according to the site. “Davis said Secret Service were also present in the church during Senator Obama’s attendance.”