Thompson raises more than $8 million

By Mike Dorning

Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson raised more than $8 million during the third quarter fundraising period that closed at midnight last night, said a campaign aide who declined to be identified

More than half of the money–about $5 million–has flowed into the campaign since Thompson’s official Sept. 5 kickoff, the aid said.

The third quarter fundraising is in addition to $3.5 million that the candidate’s exploratory committee raised during June, before the beginning of the third quarter. The campaign has not released its cash on hand.