Two top Carson aides resign

WASHINGTON — Ben Carson’s struggling presidential campaign has taken another hit, as two top aides have resigned a little more than four weeks before the Iowa caucuses kick off the 2016 voting.

In October, the retired surgeon led the Republican polls in Iowa, bolstered by strong backing from evangelical Christians. But his support eroded quickly as he came under increased scrutiny, even before the country’s renewed focus on terrorism highlighted his lack of experience.

Carson has continued to raise huge sums — his campaign announced Wednesday that it had raked in $ 23 million in the f inal three months of the year. Much of the money has been immediately recycled into more fundraising. In the meantime, however, Carson has struggled to regain his standing in the campaign.

Last month, Carson indicated in interviews that he planned a shake- up of his staff, only to say later that he had full confidence in his aides.

The shake- up came Thursday, announced in a statement from Carson’s communications director, Doug Watts, to the Des Moines Register and other news outlets. Watts and campaign manager Barry Bennett had “resigned from the Carson campaign effective immediately,” the statement said.