One of John Edwards' longtime friends says he didn't drop out because of money.
Richard "Gus" Gusler served on Edwards' fundraising committee. He said that the campaign had raised almost $4 million since Jan. 1—money that would effectively be doubled because of his participation in the federal public financing program.
He argued that would have been more than enough for Edwards to continue running past Super Tuesday and on to the convention. Since many of the donors were first-time contributors giving $50 to $100, he said that more could have been raised as well.
"I really don’t think at this point money was the issue," he said.
Gusler, 59, works as an entertainment attorney in Raleigh, representing Hootie and the Blowfish and other bands. He has known Edwards since 1981 and volunteered for his campaign since 2002.
He said he was "awfully proud" of Edwards for raising issues such as poverty, paying for college and the environment.
"John drove the policy debate," he said.
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