Republican Carson Cuts Staff But Vows To Campaign On

(Reuters) – U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said he intends to continue campaigning through the Republican National Convention in July after a report on Thursday said he planned a major downsizing of his flagging campaign.

The Washington Post reported that Carson planned to eliminate 50 staff positions, or nearly one-half his staff.

Carson, in an appearance on the Fox News Channel, said the cuts have been months in the making after an examination found “inefficiencies” in his campaign.

“It’s the same kind of thing I would do as president,” the retired neurosurgeon said. “There is a lot of money being wasted, a lot of inefficiency in government and just because you have the funds to continue that inefficiency doesn’t mean that you should do it.”

The bulk of the cuts will come from his field offices and headquarters in Virginia, the Washington Post said, citing an internal memo and campaign officials.

Carson will also reduce salaries for campaign workers, it said. Carson finished fourth among Republican presidential hopefuls in the Iowa caucuses on Monday with less than 10 percent of the vote.

The newspaper said other cost-saving measures included possibly using commercial flights instead of private planes and limiting Carson’s travel team to a select few advisers.

“We will be able to continue the campaign right until Cleveland,” Carson said, referring to the convention. “But obviously you always make appropriate adjustments to make sure you can accomplish your goal.”

His most senior staffers will remain on the campaign team, according to the Post.

(Reporting by Clarece Polke; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Photo: Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks at the National Press Club in Washington February 3, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron