High command quits Gingrich campaign 09 Jun 2011 Less than a month after one of the most calamitous political launches in recent memory, former House speaker Newt Gingrich's campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination imploded Thursday, when its top officials quit en masse. At least 16 of the former lawmaker’s advisers, including all of his senior campaign aides, departed the fledgling operation in a major and potentially devastating shake-up. Those who left included Gingrich's campaign manager, his spokesman, top political strategists and key operatives from crucial GOP primary states.