BOSTON - Congressional candidate Barry Finegold is asking rival Niki Tsongas to stop a women's fundraising group from using his sponsorship of anti-abortion legislation on Beacon Hill to help finance her campaign.

Yesterday, Finegold asked Tsongas to direct EMILY's List, which endorsed Tsongas in May, to retract a national fundraising e-mail it sent members Thursday asking them to contribute to Tsongas because Finegold is not reliably pro-choice.

Finegold, a Democratic state representative from Andover, said he mistakenly sponsored the legislation, and wants a public apology from EMILY's List for distorting his record.

Both Tsongas' campaign and EMILY's List yesterday refused to back off the fundraising tactic.

Finegold, through an aide, declined to comment for this story. His campaign issued a statement yesterday that called the e-mail "patently false" and reiterated his support for abortion rights.

The campaign released a copy of a letter it sent to Tsongas calling on her to have EMILY's List retract its e-mail and to issue a public apology.

Finegold also asked Tsongas to distance herself from a negative tactic "that shows voters their elected leaders care more about using falsehoods and distortions to score 'political points' than working together to solve the big problems we face as a nation."

Katie Elbert, a Tsongas spokeswoman, said the Lowell Democrat has received Finegold's letter but would not ask EMILY's List to retract the e-mail or apologize.

"He's asking that in an attempt to change the subject," Elbert said. "Everything in the e-mail is what was reported this week."

Asked if Tsongas believes the doubts raised about Finegold's commitment to abortion rights, Elbert said, abortion rights should be on a par with other serious issues in the campaign.

"Niki believes that an issue as fundamental to a woman's freedom as a woman's right to choose warrants the same level of serious discussion," Elbert said.

Ellen Malcolm, president of EMILY's List, said Finegold's gaffe should give pause to abortion rights supporters. Her group would not apologize.

"We've completely and accurately portrayed Finegold's record," Malcom said. "I don't see why we should apologize for his mistake."

The fundraising flap is the latest in a string of negative publicity Finegold has received since it was revealed earlier this week that he cosponsored legislation on Beacon Hill restricting a woman's right to an abortion - something Finegold, who calls himself pro-choice, said was the result of a mistake by his Statehouse office staff.

The issue first came up during a debate Monday night among the five Democratic candidates for the 5th Congressional District being vacated by Congressman Martin Meehan.

Michael Goldman, a Democratic campaign strategist in Marblehead, said Finegold should not have gone to the media with the spat. The ongoing story raises doubts about Finegold with people who are not familiar with his record, Goldman said.

"It gives it legs," Goldman said, "and the last thing he wants is to give it legs."

EMILY's List endorsed Tsongas in May, and it is actively raising money for the Lowell Democrat. The Washington, D.C., group is dedicated to raising money for pro-choice, female candidates. It has members nationwide who are directed to contribute to the candidates it endorses.

It uses Finegold's sponsorship of a woman's right to know bill not just to challenge his pro-choice credentials, but to suggest he would support restrictions on abortion access.

"Pro-choice advocates," the e-mail said, "say that Finegold's involvement in the high-profile anti-choice measure raises questions about whether a Finegold victory in the fifth congressional district House race would further tilt Congress away from support for a woman's right to choose, since the victor will replace the reliably pro-choice Marty Meehan."

The EMILY's List e-mail was sent Thursday to 42,400 members nationwide. Neither Elbert nor Malcom knew how much money the EMILY's List e-mail has raised in the short time since it was sent out.

Asked which pro-choice advocates questioned Finegold, Malcom said she'd talked to local EMILY's List members.

Indeed, yesterday Planned Parenthood Massachusetts and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts came to Finegold's aid. Both issued statements reinforcing their belief that Finegold is firmly pro-choice.

At least twice since being elected in 1996, Finegold has been listed as a cosponsor of legislation requiring a woman to wait 24 hours for an abortion, consider material describing the psychological impact of abortion, and consider other alternatives.

Finegold said his name was mistakenly added to the bill being considered this session, and he's since had it removed. He has declined to comment on the record about how he was listed as a sponsor for a nearly identical bill filed in the 2005-2006 session.