North Carolina Republican Mark Robinson sees 4 marketing campaign employees resign

International Courant

A minimum of 4 prime aides to North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s marketing campaign for governor have resigned following a report about messages he allegedly posted on a pornography web site greater than a decade in the past.

Simply three days after CNN revealed a report revealing that Robinson had beforehand made racy feedback on pornographic web sites for the reason that late 2000s, together with describing himself as a “black Nazi,” his marketing campaign launched an announcement Sunday confirming that aides in a number of high-level positions had resigned.

Conrad Pogorzelski III, who served as basic counsel and senior advisor; Chris Rodriguez, the marketing campaign supervisor; Heather Whillier, the chief monetary officer; and Jason Rizk, who served as deputy marketing campaign supervisor, have all resigned. The marketing campaign promised that extra personnel bulletins can be made quickly.

“I respect the efforts of those staff members who’ve made the tough alternative to depart the marketing campaign, and I want them the easiest of their future endeavors. I sit up for asserting new employees appointments within the coming days,” Robinson mentioned in an announcement. “My marketing campaign will proceed to deal with the substantive points at stake on this election: constructing a rising economic system from Murphy to Manteo; chopping taxes and eliminating pointless paperwork; eradicating politics from our school rooms; and tackling violent crime and harmful medication.”

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FILE – North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks for Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump throughout a marketing campaign rally in Asheville, N.C., Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Picture/Matt Rourke, Archives)

Robinson was nonetheless optimistic, anticipating to defeat Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein, the state’s present lawyer basic, in November.

“Polls have repeatedly underestimated Republican help in North Carolina. And with a lot of the voters nonetheless undecided, as we proceed to ramp up our efforts throughout the state, I’m assured our marketing campaign is in a powerful place to make our case to voters and win on November 5,” Robinson mentioned.

Based on his marketing campaign web site, Robinson will attend a rally in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on Monday morning.

Thursday’s CNN report revealed earlier posts Robinson allegedly made on a porn website’s message boards, by which he reportedly referred to as himself a “black Nazi”; mentioned he appreciated transgender porn; most well-liked Hitler over then-President Obama in 2012; and criticized the late Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.”

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump kisses his granddaughter Carolina Trump throughout a speech at a marketing campaign rally at Wilmington Worldwide Airport in Wilmington, North Carolina, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Picture/Chris Seward)

Robinson denied writing the messages and mentioned Thursday he wouldn’t be put out of the race by “tasteless tabloid lies.”

“You have all seen Josh Stein’s half-truths and outright lies in these advertisements over and over — and now right here comes a narrative that he leaked to CNN. Let me reassure you, the issues you are going to see in that story, these will not be the phrases of Mark Robinson. my phrases, you understand my character, and you understand that I have been fully clear on this race and earlier than,” Robinson mentioned in a video message. “Clarence Thomas as soon as mentioned he was the sufferer of a high-tech lynching. Properly, it seems to be like Mark Robinson is, too, by a person who refuses to face on the rostrum and debate me on the actual points that you simply guys face.”

Robinson prevented instantly addressing the controversy throughout a gubernatorial marketing campaign rally Saturday evening at a racetrack in Fayetteville, the Related Press reported.

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The incident got here after former President Trump failed to say Robinson throughout a rally about 90 miles away in Wilmington earlier within the day. Earlier than Saturday, Robinson was a frequent presence at Trump’s marketing campaign stops in North Carolina. The Republican presidential candidate endorsed Robinson, who would grow to be North Carolina’s first black governor if elected, within the main.

Stein mentioned Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Robinson “is completely unfit to be governor of North Carolina, and we’ll do the whole lot we will to forestall that.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., mentioned Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Robinson deserves an opportunity to defend himself in opposition to the allegations, which Graham described as “nerve-wracking.” He mentioned Robinson “is a political zombie if he would not provide a reputable protection,” whereas arguing that doing so wouldn’t value Trump the battleground state both manner.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks throughout a marketing campaign rally at Wilmington Worldwide Airport in Wilmington, North Carolina, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Picture/Chris Seward)

“In the event that they’re true, he is unfit to carry workplace,” Graham mentioned of the allegations. “If they are not true, he has one of the best case within the historical past of the nation for defamation.”

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Polls present Trump and Vice President Harris locked in a neck-and-neck race in North Carolina and nationwide. Democrats have seized the chance to spotlight Trump’s ties to Robinson, with billboards displaying the 2 collectively and a brand new advert from Harris’ marketing campaign highlighting the Republican candidates’ ties.

Matthew Reidy of Fox Information and the Related Press contributed to this report.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking information and political reporter for Fox Information Digital. Story ideas could be despatched to danielle.wallace@fox.com and to X: @danimwallace.

North Carolina Republican Mark Robinson sees 4 marketing campaign employees resign

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