Dr. Ben Carson, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, is furious that the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) would use his birthday to try to boost its fundraising coffers.
“The NRSC has recently sent out fundraising emails and online ads soliciting donations under the guise of wishing Dr. Carson a happy birthday,” Carson communications director Doug Watts told Breitbart News on Thursday.
While he surely appreciates their good wishes, he is less than happy they never bothered the common courtesy of advising our campaign. Contributors should be advised that none of the proceeds or names are being shared with the campaign. This is the kind of politics-as-usual approach Americans are tired of, deceitful Washington practices to feather the nests of the political class.
Andrea Bozek, an NRSC spokeswoman, told Breitbart News in response on Friday that the group was just trying to wish Carson a happy birthday.
“First we are hearing of it,” Bozek said. “We simply wanted to wish Dr. Carson a Happy Birthday.”
The NRSC fundraising pitch was sent out in an email paid for by the NRSC and wishes Carson a Happy Birthday via Town Hall magazine media. Carson’s birthday is Friday, Sept. 18.
The email, addressed to “Friend,” reads as following:
“Just wanted to let you know that Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson celebrates his birthday this week! Dr. Carson is a strong conservative who has saved many lives during his time working as a neurosurgeon. Please join us in wishing Dr. Ben Carson a happy birthday and sign his birthday card today!”
That links off to a website from the NRSC putting forward a birthday card for Carson—but also collecting email addresses and soliciting donations for the GOP campaign committee for U.S. Senate Republicans.
Carson has proven to be a prolific fundraiser. In fact, Carson’s communications director Watts told Breitbart News in Simi Valley, California at the Reagan Library that in just the month of September, Carson has “raised $5.5 million in the first 15 days.”
“We hit our 500,000th donation with 300,000 unique donors,” Watts told Breitbart News on the spin room floor. “It’s really the grassroots exploding, as they’re seeing the possibility of an outsider winning. Their efforts matter and their small donations matter.”
Watts told Breitbart News that the “average donation is around $49 to $51.”
“About 90 percent of our contributors are under $200,” Watts said.
After the debate, Watts told Breitbart News that “we’re pretty pleased” with Carson’s performance.
“It’s everything we intended to do,” Watts said before noting that the campaign massively increased its social media presence—which helps with grassroots fundraising—during the debate.
“Today, we raised a million dollars,” Watts said on the spin room floor Wednesday evening. “During this time we added 300,000 Facebook fans and there were more Tweets about Carson than any other candidate.”
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