A senior North Carolina Republican says news of the latest scandal surrounding Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is running for governor, “is not a shock to me.”
CNN reported Thursday a series of allegations involving vulgar, racist, sexually explicit and derogatory posts, linking the decade-old online posts on a pornographic website to Robinson himself through various identifying details, from his email address to a photo and common phrases. Robinson denies it was him and said Thursday night that he will not quit the race.
North Carolina Republican State Treasurer Dale Folwell said, “It appears that everyone who has ever come into contact with (Robinson) has been scammed. And this is just the latest example of taxpayers and donors being scammed.”
Folwell, a longtime elected official who also served in the General Assembly, ran unsuccessfully against Robinson in the Republican primary for governor.
“His advisers, who made hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars off him, are laughing their heads off on the way to the bank,” Folwell said in an interview with The News & Observer on Thursday.
The CNN report is “concerning,” Rep. Richard Hudson, a North Carolina congressman who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement through an NRCC spokesman.
“The allegations regarding Lt. Governor Robinson in this new report are troubling. I hope Mark can convince the people of North Carolina that each of these specific allegations is untrue,” Hudson said.
Former primary opponent on Robinson
Folwell recalls Robinson saying in a speech, “If anyone criticizes him, God will come down on a white horse and take revenge.”
“I think there will be a lot of white horses,” Folwell said.
As treasurer, Folwell serves on the ten-member Council of State, along with Robinson and other elected officials from the state.
Folwell said that when it comes to dropping out of the race for governor, the only ones who can make that decision are Robinson, former President Donald Trump and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, who previously led the NC Republican Party, because “they’re the ones who selected him in the first place.”
Trump has endorsed Robinson, briefly bringing him onstage at a campaign rally in Asheboro in August. Robinson, however, did not attend a meeting this week with Sen. J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate.
Scott Lassiter, a Republican candidate for Senate, is calling on Robinson to end his campaign and let another Republican take his place.
Lassiter said “no one should feel obligated to support a candidate simply because of their party preference,” and called on Robinson to step aside.
Robinson said before the CNN report came out that he would not quit the race and denied the allegations.
Response from Democrats
Robinson’s opponent in the gubernatorial race is Attorney General Josh Stein.
“North Carolinians already know that Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be governor. Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone,” Stein’s campaign said in a statement sent to The N&O.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper was asked about Robinson during a naming ceremony for the Lenovo Center prior to the publication of the CNN story.
“So something special happened? I think any day could be a reason for him to drop out of the race. You know, he’s the wrong choice for North Carolina,” Cooper told reporters.
Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson, who is running for attorney general against Republican Rep. Dan Bishop, sent out a press release about the CNN story with photos of Bishop and Robinson together, asking if Bishop regrets his endorsement of Robinson.
“Is he still ‘proud’ to endorse Robinson? … Or are Robinson’s comments about Nazis and slavery a bridge too far, even after all the other controversies?” Jackson wrote.
Other Democrats have already sent out fundraising emails of the Robinson news, including Democratic candidate for the state House of Representatives Nicole Sidman, who is running against Republican N.C. Rep. Tricia Cotham. Cotham switched parties in 2023, giving Republicans a supermajority in the General Assembly.
“Anyone who calls themselves a Nazi, says Hitler would be a better leader than an American president, or advocates the return of slavery — even jokingly — should not hold any public office or position of trust in the United States,” Sidman’s campaign email said, referring to the allegations in the CNN report.
Democratic Governors Association spokesman Izzi Levy called it “further evidence that Mark Robinson is deranged, dangerous and utterly unfit to be governor.”
Avi Bajpai and Chip Alexander contributed to this story.
