South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, the keynote speaker at a June fundraiser for North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, said a recent CNN report “raised some eyebrows,” but he doesn’t know what’s true.
Robinson, who is running for governor, denies comments attributed to him on a pornography website that CNN recently reported on.
“I’ve only read a little bit of it, I mean, I think they raise some eyebrows,” McMaster said. “But then again, it’s easy to destroy someone’s reputation these days, I don’t know what’s true and what’s not, I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. But apparently it caused some problems in his campaign.”
According to media reports, Robinson’s campaign recently lost several top aides and cut some campaign funding.
McMaster also explained the Republican Governors Association’s action this week during a press conference on Tuesday. The governor’s group confirmed that the ads in North Carolina would expire and that there were no plans to extend the funding.
McMaster, who is on the group’s executive committee, said they spent a lot of money on Robinson’s campaign.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t hope Republicans will vote for him, but the RGA reached the limit of what they could spend and decided not to spend more on that race,” McMaster said.
The communications director for the Republican Governor’s Association told reporters Tuesday that it does not comment on internal strategy or spending decisions in confirming the end of the NC ads. “RGA remains committed to electing Republican governors across the country,” said communications director Courtney Alexander.
The fundraiser McMaster attended in June took place at a steakhouse in Charlotte.
“I don’t think I’ll go back to North Carolina, they haven’t asked me to come, I’ve been there before, but I’ve campaigned for a lot of Republicans and will continue to do so, but I think there are others who need help as well,” McMaster said Tuesday of the fundraising event.
