Several senior staff members from North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign have resigned, following a CNN report that revealed troubling past posts allegedly made by Robinson on a pornography website’s message board over ten years ago.
In a news release on Sunday, the campaign announced that senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, the finance director, and the deputy campaign manager have all stepped down. The campaign is expected to announce new staff members in the near future.
Robinson expressed gratitude toward the departing team members, wishing them well in their future endeavors. Pogorzelski, who played a role in Robinson’s election as lieutenant governor in 2020 and later became his chief of staff, revealed that additional members, including the deputy finance director and two political directors, also left the campaign.
The CNN report detailed past comments from Robinson where he allegedly referred to himself as a “black NAZI,” expressed a preference for “transgender pornography,” and made derogatory remarks about historical figures like Hitler and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Robinson denied writing the posts, asserting that he would not be pushed out of the race by what he described as “salacious tabloid lies.” He did not directly address the controversy during a campaign event in Fayetteville on Saturday, which followed a rally where former President Donald Trump did not mention him.
Previously, Robinson had been a regular presence at Trump’s campaign events and has received accolades from Trump for his oratory skills. Despite the recent staff changes and polls indicating he is trailing behind Democratic nominee Josh Stein, Robinson remains optimistic about his chances in the upcoming election.
Robinson, known for his inflammatory remarks in the past, has faced scrutiny from Stein, who labeled him as “utterly unqualified” to lead North Carolina. In the broader political landscape, polls show a competitive race involving Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, with Democrats highlighting Robinson’s connections to Trump and his support for a statewide abortion ban.
Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham voiced the need for Robinson to defend himself against the allegations, which he called “unnerving.” He suggested that if the claims in the CNN report are true, Robinson would be unfit for office, but if false, he would have a strong case for libel.