- North Carolina Lt. Gov. Robinson is down to three staff members
- Comes after a shocking report claimed the candidate called himself a ‘pervert’
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has vowed to take action against CNN over a report revealing deeply disturbing comments he allegedly made on a pornographic forum.
Nearly all of Robinson’s campaign staff resigned following the shocking report that alleged he had called himself a “black Nazi” and a “pervert” on the website Nude Africa.
Robinson now has only two campaign spokespeople and a bodyguard on his team.
It’s the latest news in the saga that has plagued North Carolina’s gubernatorial election over the past week, following revelations about the messaging.
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson vowed to hold CNN “accountable” after it reported last week that the gubernatorial candidate had posted abusive messages on a pornography forum.
At a campaign rally in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Robinson (56) again denied the CNN report linking him to the offensive comments.
“We are prepared… to hold CNN accountable for what they did to us. We are going after them,” he vowed.
Robinson’s campaign announced Sunday that four senior executives have left: Senior Advisor Conrad Pogorzelski III; Campaign Manager Chris Rodriguez; Chief Financial Officer Heather Whillier; and Deputy Campaign Manager Jason Rizk.
But local North Carolina radio station WUNC confirmed that many other employees also left the teamleaving Robinson with just three people working on his campaign to gain momentum and paint the governor’s mansion red in November.
There are just 43 days left until Election Day, meaning Robinson has just a few weeks to rehire an entire team.
Some on social media claimed they were new hires from Robinson’s campaign, but the Republican candidate says staff announcements are coming soon.
Most of Robinson’s office has dropped the candidate after the latest report, and Robinson says new staff positions will be announced soon
“Online rumors of new hires for our campaign are just that – rumors. We look forward to announcing additional staff positions soon,” the lieutenant governor wrote on X.
WUNC has confirmed the departures of longtime COO Patrick Riley and political directors John Kontoulas and Jackson Lohrer, among others.
It’s unclear whether Robinson can pull off the monumental task of rehiring nearly an entire campaign office, given the sensitive scandal he vehemently denies.
Robinson is running to fill the seat of outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in a state that is highly competitive for the 2024 election.
North Carolina is one of seven crucial states needed to win the presidential election.
The state voted red in 2016 and 2020, but Democrats hope its electors will vote blue in 2024 for Electoral College seats.
Democrat Josh Stein wants the state’s governorship to remain “blue.” On Sunday, he said Donald Trump should be held accountable at the ballot box for supporting Robinson and helping him become the Republican nominee for governor.
Announcing the departures of four top officials over the weekend, Robinson said in a statement: “My campaign will continue to focus on the essential issues at stake in this election: building an economy that grows from Murphy to Manteo; cutting taxes and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy; removing politics from our classrooms; and tackling violent crime and dangerous drugs.”
“Polls have repeatedly underestimated Republican support in North Carolina,” he continued. “And with much of the electorate still undecided, as we continue to ramp up our efforts across the state, I am confident that our campaign is in a strong position to make our case to voters and win on November 5.”