Gingrich: I Don’t Need Billionaire Adelson’s Money to Stay in Race

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, who has vowed to remain in the race until the August convention, says he doesn’t need the financial assistance of casino/hotel titan Sheldon Adelson to do so, The Hill reports. The multi-billionaire is by far Gingrich’s biggest donor; he and his family have given more than $11 million to Winning Our Future, the super PAC supporting the former House speaker.

Adelson’s money was credited with keeping Gingrich afloat early in the primary season. Rumors spread in recent days that Adelson may have completed his contributions, The Hill reports. Winning Our Future chief Rick Tyler acknowledged to The Washington Post this week that fundraising without Adelson would be "challenging.”

But Gingrich himself said that while he appreciates Adelson’s backing, his candidacy isn’t dependent on it. “I'm happy to have somebody who cares passionately about the Iranian nuclear weapon, and someone who cares passionately about the survival of Israel, independently support me," Gingrich told "This Morning" on CBS Friday, The Hill reports.

"But I have 176,000 supporters at newt.org. They want me to stay in the race. I really represent their interests as individuals." Gingrich said 95 percent of those donors have given less than $250, meaning they can legally shell out more.