Romney camp offers to connect Gingrich with donor network

Fox News has confirmed Newt Gingrich met with Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades on Monday to talk about how the former House Speaker can assist as a surrogate and fundraiser for the presumptive Republican nominee.

At the meeting, the Romney campaign also offered to connect Gingrich with their network of donors as a way to help retire some of his campaign debts. The March FEC filing shows Gingrich holding $4.3 million in debts at the end of the month, although the campaign emphasizes that half a million has since been paid off and there is a plan in place to pay the rest.

"The Romney campaign will give us access to some of their networks but it will be our responsibility to raise the money," said Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond. "While campaigning in support of Romney, the party, and congressional candidates, we will also hold separate events to raise money to pay off debts."

Gingrich will announce the suspension of his presidential campaign on Wednesday at the Hilton in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia.

The face-to-face meeting with Rhoades took place just across the street from the hotel at Gingrich's campaign headquarters. The meeting came after nearly two weeks of talks between the campaigns, including conversations between Gingrich and Romney adviser Ed Gillespie.

At the meeting, Gingrich offered some of his ideas and suggestions to the Romney campaign, especially on the importance of minority outreach.

While Gingrich has yet to officially endorse Romney, in recent weeks he has repeatedly and publicly voiced his commitment to helping Romney, the Republican Party, and conservative congressional candidates win in the fall.

The Monday meeting looked at how Gingrich can actively assist Romney's efforts to prevent President Obama from winning another term, and focused on how Gingrich can help with fundraising ahead of what is expected to be an expensive general election battle.