N.C. governor candidate Mark Robinson sues CNN over report about posts on porn site
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN on Tuesday over a report that alleged he posted explicit racial and sexual messages on a pornography website's message board. Robinson claims the report was reckless and defamatory.
The lawsuit, filed in Wake County Superior Court, comes just weeks after the CNN report caused many GOP officials and candidates, including presidential nominee Donald Trump, to distance themselves from Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign.
At a news conference in Raleigh, Robinson, alongside his attorney from Virginia, denied writing the posts.
The Lawsuit and Allegations
The lawsuit accuses CNN of knowingly publishing false information. It states that Robinson's personal data—such as his name, date of birth, and the email address linked to the NudeAfrica account—had been compromised in previous data breaches. Despite this, CNN moved forward with the story.
Robinson, who would be North Carolina's first Black governor if elected, described the situation as a “high-tech lynching,” claiming he’s been targeted for his political views.
CNN, through spokesperson Emily Kuhn, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
CNN’s original report, which aired on Sept. 19, alleged that Robinson made offensive comments over a decade ago on the message board, calling himself a "black NAZI," expressing a preference for Hitler over President Barack Obama, enjoying transgender pornography, and criticizing civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.” The report linked the account to Robinson by cross-referencing usernames, email addresses, and other biographical details, including his marriage history and age.
At the time of the report, polls showed Robinson trailing Democratic opponent Josh Stein, the state’s attorney general. Early in-person voting starts this Thursday, with over 57,000 absentee ballots already submitted.
Additional Lawsuit Target: A Musician
Robinson's lawsuit also names Louis Love Money, a punk rock singer from Greensboro. In a music video and interviews, Money claimed that Robinson regularly visited a porn shop in the 1990s and early 2000s, where he allegedly bought videos. Robinson strongly denies these allegations, stating in the lawsuit that he did not frequent the shop or purchase any videos from Money.
Money, in a phone interview, stood by his story, asserting that his statements and the music video are truthful: “My story hasn’t changed.”
The lawsuit, seeking at least $50 million in damages, accuses CNN and Money of attempting to derail Robinson's campaign but offers no evidence of coordinated efforts between them.
Robinson’s attorney, Jesse Binnall, suggested that other "bad actors" may be involved, though he did not name any. Binnall, who has also represented Trump, promised to use subpoenas and other legal tools to uncover further information.
Campaign Fallout
Under North Carolina law, public officials claiming defamation must prove that the defendant either knowingly made a false statement or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Following CNN's report, most of Robinson's top campaign and lieutenant governor's office staff resigned. The Republican Governors Association, which had spent millions backing Robinson, also withdrew its support.
Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris and various state candidates, quickly seized on the controversy, running ads linking Robinson to their Republican opponents. Meanwhile, Robinson's campaign has shifted away from TV ads and is focusing on in-person events.
Robinson has long been a controversial figure, making inflammatory statements about issues like abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, which Stein and his allies have highlighted in ads.
Stein's spokesperson, Morgan Hopkins, issued a statement Tuesday, saying, “Even before the CNN report, North Carolinians knew that Mark Robinson was unfit to be governor.”
Campaign Shifts and Aftermath
Hurricane Helene briefly shifted attention away from the CNN story. Robinson spent several days working with a local sheriff to organize relief efforts, and he criticized Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is barred by term limits from running again, for the state's initial response to the storm.
While Trump endorsed Robinson ahead of the March gubernatorial primary, comparing his oratory skills to “Martin Luther King on steroids,” Robinson has been absent from Trump’s campaign events since the CNN report surfaced.
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