Robinson denies report he made racist, sexual comments on porn site

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is denying a CNN report that says he made a series of racist, sexually explicit comments on an internet pornography forum — but the allegations are prompting at least one fellow Republican to call on Robinson to drop out of the governor's race.

The lengthy CNN report, published Thursday afternoon, highlights comments posted to an online pornography forum called "Nude Africa" from an user calling themselves Mark Robinson with many of his personal biographical details, and with an email address associated with the man who's now the Republican nominee for governor.

The report includes a long list of sexually explicit and racist comments posted to the site between 2008 and 2012, long before Robinson entered politics as a candidate for lieutenant governor in 2020. The commenter describes himself as a "Black Nazi," calls for the reinstatement of slavery, says he enjoys watching transgender pornography and describes a time he spied on women taking showers in a locker room — all while using anti-gay slurs and other profanity in the posts.

But Robinson says he didn't make any of the comments described in the CNN report.

"Those are not the words of Mark Robinson," he said in a video posted to social media. "You know my words, you know my character, and you know that I have been completely transparent in this race and before. Right now, our opponents are desperate to shift the focus here, from the substantive issues and focus on what you are concerned with, to salacious tabloid trash. We cannot allow that to happen."

Robinson goes on to compare himself to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who faced sexual harassment allegations during his 1991 confirmation hearings.

"Clarence Thomas famously once said he was the victim of high-tech lynching," he said. "Well, it looks like Mark Robinson is too, by a man who refuses to stand on stage and debate me about the real issues that face you. Instead, they want to focus on salacious tabloid lies."

Robinson is facing calls from at least one fellow Republican to drop out of the race in the wake of the CNN allegations. Scott Lassiter, a GOP candidate for Senate in a competitive Wake County district, issued a statement minutes before the CNN report published saying that "if the recent allegations are true, combined with his previous public rhetoric, I believe it's time for him to step aside. North Carolinians deserve a viable choice in this election."

Recent polls show Robinson trailing Attorney General Josh Stein by significant margins. If Robinson were to drop out, the N.C. Republican Party’s executive committee would choose a new nominee for governor under state law, but Robinson’s name could remain on the ballot, as ballots are already being printed. Votes for Robinson would then be tallied for a new nominee. Thursday marks the deadline for candidates to formally withdraw, as absentee ballots for military and overseas voters will be mailed starting Friday.

But Robinson said Thursday that's not going to happen.

"We are in it to win it, and we know that with your help, we will," he said in his video response. "God bless you, and we will see you where? On the campaign trail."

Robinson cancelled campaign stops scheduled for Thursday in Henderson and Norlina, and his campaign didn't respond to an inquiry about the reason for the cancellation.

Stein's campaign did not call for Robinson to drop out in a brief statement issued after the report.

"North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be governor," the campaign said in a news release. "Josh remains focused on winning this campaign so that together we can build a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone.”

Lassiter wasn't the only Republican to voice concerns about the allegations against Robinson, although they stopped short of calling for him to drop out: