In campaign news, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich is drawing new scrutiny over his financial ties to the mortgage giant Freddie Mac. Bloomberg News is reporting Gingrich received between $1.6 million to $1.8 million in consulting fees from Freddie Mac over an eight-year span beginning in 1999. Gingrich has maintained he never performed lobbying for the company and in fact advised them their business practices were “insane,” an account Freddie Mac officials have denied.