Carson Shatters Cash Record after Muslim Comments
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has set new records for raising campaign cash.
He hauled in $20 million in just the past three months, shattering records and setting a new bar for his Republican rivals.
In fact, Carson brought in more money than what was raised by the GOP's entire field of White House candidates over the same period four years ago.
Carson raised $12 million in September alone, after he said he would not support a Muslim for president.
He explained it's because Islam requires its followers to obey Islamic Sharia law over the U.S. Constitution.
He later said a Muslim president would be okay if they agreed to obey the Constitution. But Carson is continuing to embrace the issue.
"The Judeo-Christian values upon which America was built allowed us to become the greatest force for good on the planet," Carson says in a new fundraising appeal that repeats his criticism of a prospective Muslim president who supports Sharia law.
His campaign manager said Carson will call for the revocation of the non-profit tax status of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
CAIR's leader called on Carson to leave the race last month. Although CAIR may be the nation's largest Muslim advocacy group, it is controversial since it was once named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism financing case in U.S. history.
Overall, Carson has raised $31 million from almost 600,000 donations since he launched his White House bid in May.
Much of the money comes from small-dollar donors or newcomers to presidential politics.
Carson's camp said that proves the Republican establishment will have to take outsider candidates more seriously.
"Sooner or later, they'll have to realize there's a new reality or they'll pay the price," Carson campaign manager Barry Bennett said. "The outsiders are not going away."
The two leading Democrats have exceeded the $20 million mark. Hillary Clinton's campaign has raised $28 million, while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' team said it had pulled in roughly $26 million.
