Newt Gingrich campaign finance team quits

Updated at 4:55 p.m. ET

Two top fundraising aides for Republican U.S. presidential candidate Newt Gingrich have resigned, putting the former House of Representatives speaker's chaotic campaign into deeper trouble.

Finance director Jody Thomas was one of those to quit, Gingrich campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond said Tuesday.

Other key members of Gingrich's team, including his campaign manager, resigned on June 9, questioning his commitment to the 2012 presidential race after the candidate went on a Greek cruise with his wife.

Since launching his campaign in May, Gingrich has also angered his party by criticizing a congressional Republican plan to scale back the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.

He also has fended off questions about why he had carried as much as $500,000 in debt to jewelry company Tiffany & Co from 2005 to 2006.

Gingrich will press on with his candidacy at an event Wednesday in Georgia, where he will call for revamping the Federal Reserve system, his spokesman said.

Other staffers will cover the fundraising duties left by the departing aides, Hammond said.

"They were part of the team. We have a half dozen staffers responsible for raising money," he said.

Gingrich, 68, was the main architect of the 1994 election victory that gave Republicans control of both the House and Senate for the first time in decades. He also was author of the party's "Contract with America" political manifesto.

He ended his 20-year congressional career after Republican losses in 1998 elections.

Gingrich has tried to ease concerns among the religious right about his personal life. Gingrich is married to his third wife, with whom he had an affair while married to his second wife.

[artamy]

Furthermore, what's with all this interbreeding between politics and punditry? I can understand retired sports figures giving play by play on ESPN. They know the game no doubt.

The politically slanted networks now hire ex politicians and current ones still in the game, Huckabee and Palin, to name a few. Sure they know the game but they also have a vested income in the outcome. Joe Scarborough, Chris Mathews, Mike Huckabee, Elliot Spitzer, Lawrence O'Donnell, Michael Steel. All were former paid politicians. Then there are the same paid pundits from Politico, Huffington Post, Slate, and the various conservative and liberal think tanks and publications.

Where are the outsider opinions? Are there any? MSNBC and Fox News are in fact preaching to the choir every night. So little changes except folks thinking they are right (or left) because these networks are reinforcing their opinions.

It's like convicting someone after hearing only the prosecution's opinion. Without hearing the defense, how can you justify your decision? I'm a liberal, yes I can say it, but I do watch, Beck and listen to Limbaugh. Difficult to say the least, but I can turn off the TV/radio knowing I made a fair attempt to hear both sides.

[artamy]

Newt Gingrich and others, such as Sarah Palin and Donald trump are subverting our electoral process with vanity campaigns. The pompous, professorial "idea man" Newt can pontificate and impress with oxymoronic terms such as "Islamo-facist". They can solicit funds and garner attention to future books, paid TV appearances and otherwise fund their lifestyles. All without a serious commitment to a presidential campaign. Is there any reason Sarah Palin can solicit "donations" while on her personal vacation bus tour (sic) if she's not running? What fool would send her money? Newt's campaign managers and fund raisers recognized how Gingrich was gaming the process for personal gain. To their credit they quit.

In future campaigns, candidates and those "thinking about it" publicly should have to be bonded before they can solicit funds of any kind. The bond to be forfeited if the Federal Election Commission determines a vanity campaign was launched with no intent to run. Hard to prove no doubt, but the threat should be there.

[Jhihmoac]

With his 1M credit @ Tiffany's, can you blame them?

[longtree-2009]

newt is an embarrassment to the gop and should drop his candidacy and retire to private life. newt is only going to direct fence sitting votes to obama's camp. gop leaders should privately ask newt to withdraw his candidacy for the good of the party.

[rwsmith29456]

Newt isn't in step with the Republican line. I think I'd vote for him.

[jeannettelj]

I really can't think of anything to post. All of you have said it all. Good bye, Newt.

[nearl451]

Honestly I am going to miss Newt unique perspective on issues. It's a shame he can't seem to work well with .....well, anyone.

His campaign = toast

[stuwerb]

This guy's got a rap sheet as long as my arm. Look's like republican presidential nominee material to me...

[boatdocster]

Right now, Bill Clinton is on the golf course laughing his asss off.

"Newtless, you may have impeached me, but you will NEVER be President of the United States. Stick a fork in it baby, because you are well-done!!"

[stevex47]

The scariest fact may be there are a boatload of repub's that will vote for him.

[askagain]

Just as some democrats would vote for John Edwards. We are heading toward the primaries first, not the presidential elections. As in evey election, many contenders will fall by the wayside. Happens in both parties.

[askagain]

Just as some democrats would vote for John Edwards. We are heading toward the primaries first, not the presidential elections. As in evey election, many contenders will fall by the wayside. Happens in both parties.