Romney: the $100 million man
Updated 4:25 p.m. ET
(CBS News) Conservatives have ramped up their criticism of Mitt Romney's messaging in recent days, but his latest announcement may calm their nerves a bit.
The Republican National Committee's political director announced on Twitter Thursday that Romney, along with the RNC's joint fundraising committee, raised $100 million in June, easily surpassing his previous record of $76.8 million in May and topping any of President Obama's monthly fundraising totals this election cycle. (In 2008, then-candidate Obama raised $150 million in September 2008, setting the all-time monthly record.)
While the number is staggering, after Romney outraised Mr. Obama for the first time in May - $76.8 million to $60 million - the Obama campaign predicted today's news, suggesting on a conference call with reporters last month that Romney would raise $100 million - and that the Obama campaign would not match that number.
Romney held at least one fundraiser on at least 18 out of the 30 days in June. This does not include the three day retreat with major donors in Utah because according to campaign officials, that was not an actual fundraiser. We do not know the exact number of fundraisers he held because the campaign does not always alert the press when he's holding a fundraiser.
The locations of his fundraisers were spread out: California, Oregon, Washington State, Texas, Missouri, Utah, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, Virginia, New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
In comparison, Mr. Obama attended 33 fundraisers in June, the most of any month since filing for re-election in April 2011.
No word yet from the Obama campaign on their June fundraising haul. Official numbers for June are due to the Federal Election Commission on July 20.
CBS News' Caroline Horn and Mark Knoller contributed to this report.