Top Officials Resign from Mark Robinson’s Campaign Amid Controversy

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Several senior campaign officials working for Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for North Carolina governor, have resigned following a CNN report that revealed inflammatory comments Robinson made on a pornography website. The report uncovered remarks made by Robinson on the message board of Nude Africa, a pornographic website, which included disturbing statements about race, gender, and his personal history.

 

On Sunday evening, Robinson's campaign confirmed that multiple top aides had stepped down. General consultant and senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, finance director Heather Whillier, and deputy campaign manager Jason Rizk were among those who left. Pogorzelski verified the news to CNN, saying, “The reports are true that I, along with others from the campaign have left of our own accord.” He also mentioned the departure of other officials, including deputy finance director Caroline Winchester, political directors John Kontoulas and Jackson Lohrer, and director of operations Patrick Riley.

 

The resignations follow CNN's investigation into comments Robinson made on Nude Africa over a decade ago. Under the username "minisoldr," Robinson posted offensive remarks, including describing himself as a “black Nazi” and recounting how he had spied on women at a public gym when he was 14. Robinson also expressed disturbing views on race, including support for reinstating slavery, and commented on his interest in transgender pornography, despite his recent history of anti-transgender rhetoric.

 

Robinson denied making these comments in an interview with CNN. “This is not us. These are not our words. And this is not anything that is characteristic of me,” he said. Even when presented with evidence linking him to the "minisoldr" username and an email address Robinson had used across various websites for years, he dismissed the accusations, saying, “I’m not going to get into the minutia of how somebody manufactured this, these salacious tabloid lies.”

 

Despite the controversy, the North Carolina Republican Party has stood by Robinson. In a statement issued on Thursday, the party said, “Mark Robinson has categorically denied the allegations made by CNN but that won’t stop the Left from trying to demonize him via personal attacks. The Left needs this election to be a personality contest, not a policy contest because if voters are focused on policy, Republicans win on Election Day.” The statement came just hours before the deadline for Robinson to withdraw from the race.

 

While some Republicans in North Carolina have urged Robinson to step down, the deadline for his official withdrawal has passed. The offensive posts were removed from Nude Africa, but it remains unclear whether Robinson or the website administrators were responsible for their removal.

 

In the face of mounting pressure, Robinson has reiterated his commitment to staying in the race. “Polls have consistently underestimated Republican support in North Carolina for several cycles now... I am confident our campaign remains in a strong position to make our case to the voters and win on November 5,” he said in a statement announcing the resignations.

 

However, Robinson was notably absent from a recent rally held by former President Donald Trump in Wilmington, North Carolina. Though Trump has previously praised Robinson, even likening him to “Martin Luther King on steroids” at a March rally, Robinson was not invited to the Wilmington event, and Trump made no mention of him during his speech.

 

 

Based on a report from: CNN 2024-09-24

 

 

 

[Tug]

Ah yes another fine specimen of a magga candidate……only the best people ehh Donnie?what was trump calling this guy MLK on steroids?enough of this destructive circus ditch the albatross and his ilk!