North Carolina’s Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson has initiated a defamation lawsuit against CNN, following a report that alleged he made explicit racial and sexual comments on a pornography website’s message board over a decade ago. The report, which aired on September 19, claimed that Robinson, who could potentially be the state’s first black governor, referred to himself as a “black Nazi” and praised Adolf Hitler over former President Barack Obama.
CNN’s report connected Robinson to the controversial posts by analyzing usernames, email addresses, and other personal information. Robinson has vehemently denied creating these posts, describing the accusations as a “high-tech lynching” orchestrated by political adversaries attempting to sabotage his campaign.
During a press conference in Raleigh, Robinson announced the lawsuit, where his attorney contended that CNN failed to consider evidence showing that Robinson’s data had been compromised during several security breaches. The lawsuit seeks at least $50 million in damages and has been filed in Wake County Superior Court.
This legal action comes on the heels of the report, which prompted several Republican officials, including Donald Trump, to distance themselves from Robinson’s gubernatorial ambitions.
Additionally, the lawsuit targets Greensboro punk singer Louis Love Money, who alleged that Robinson frequented a pornographic store in the 1990s and early 2000s. Robinson disputes these claims, asserting that they are part of a concerted effort to undermine his candidacy.
In light of the report, key members of Robinson’s campaign have resigned, and the Republican Governors Association has pulled its financial support. His campaign has scaled back television advertisements, shifting focus to in-person engagements as he trails Democratic candidate Josh Stein in the polls.
CNN has declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit. In response, a spokesperson for Stein indicated that Robinson’s qualifications for the governorship were already in doubt prior to the report, asserting that North Carolinians deserve superior leadership.