In a stunning development that has rocked North Carolina’s gubernatorial race, several top staffers from Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson‘s campaign have abruptly resigned reports the Associated Press.
The mass exodus comes in the wake of a bombshell CNN report that unearthed disturbing posts allegedly made by Robinson on a pornography website’s message board over a decade ago.
The campaign announced in a news release on Sunday that senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, the finance director, and a key deputy campaign manager have all stepped down from their roles. In a separate statement, Pogorzelski revealed that additional staffers, including the deputy finance director, two political directors, and the director of operations, have also left their positions on the campaign.
Robinson attempted to downplay the departures, stating in a prepared statement, “I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors.”
Newsweek contacted Robinson’s office via email on Sunday for comment.
The CNN report, which broke last Thursday, claimed that Robinson had made a series of inflammatory posts on an adult website’s message boards. These alleged posts included Robinson referring to himself as a “black NAZI,” expressing enjoyment of transgender pornography, stating a preference for Hitler over then-President Barack Obama in 2012, and disparaging the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.”
Robinson has vehemently denied authoring these posts, dismissing them as “salacious tabloid lies.” However, his campaign has been unable to stem the tide of negative publicity surrounding the extreme allegations.
The controversy has also put strain on Robinson’s relationship with former President Donald Trump, who had previously been a vocal supporter.
At a recent campaign rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, Trump notably did not mention Robinson, despite the lieutenant governor’s frequent presence at past campaign events in the state.
Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was in Leesport, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, where he told an NBC News reporter that the allegations against Robinson are “pretty far out there” and that “allegations aren’t necessarily reality.”
The reporter later asked Vance if he was “comfortable with Mark Robinson as the Republican nominee for governor in North Carolina?”
Vance responded: “It’s ultimately up to Mark Robinson and North Carolina whether he’s going to be their governor and whether he wants to stay in the race.”
In a more pointed rebuke, the joint editorial board of North Carolina’s two largest newspapers, The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer published a scathing opinion piece on Thursday, calling for Robinson to withdraw from the race.
“Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson only has one reasonable option now: Quit the race for governor,” the editorial began. It went on to describe Robinson as “unfit” and urged Republicans to “explore ways to revoke his nomination” if he refuses to step down.
This latest scandal adds to Robinson’s already controversial political record. The embattled lawmaker has a history of making inflammatory comments, including suggesting that women who sought abortions “weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down” and comparing abortion to slavery.
Despite the mounting pressure and loss of essential staff, Robinson remains defiant. He reportedly expressed optimism about his chances in November, stating, “I am confident our campaign remains in a strong position to make our case to the voters and win on November 5.”
The race has significant implications beyond the state level. Polls show Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris locked in a close race in North Carolina and other important swing states.
As of September 22, CBS News estimated that Harris is narrowly leading Trump in Arizona (50 percent to 49 percent), Michigan (50 percent to 48 percent), North Carolina (49 percent to 48 percent) and Wisconsin (50 percent to 48 percent).
Democrats have seized on the opportunity to highlight Trump’s ties to Robinson, with billboards showing the two together and a new ad from Harris’ campaign highlighting the Republican candidates’ ties, as well as Robinson’s support for a statewide abortion ban without exceptions.
As the race enters its final weeks, all eyes will be on Robinson to see how he navigates this crisis. With North Carolina being a key battleground state, the outcome of the gubernatorial race could have significant implications for the presidential election as well.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.