Mark Robinson abandoned en masse by campaign staff after “black Nazi” comments discovered

At least seven staffers have left North Carolina’s anti-LGBTQ+ Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign following last week’s bombshell report of racist, antisemitic, and sexual admissions that Robinson wrote online from 2008 to 2012. Robinson referred to the mass resignations as “staff changes” and said his campaign would announce the resignations’ replacements in the coming days.

The resignations include Robinson’s senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, finance director Heather Whillier, deputy campaign manager Jason Rizk, director of operations Patrick Riley, and two political directors John Kontoulas and Jackson Lohrer. The mass resignation has reportedly left his campaign with just three people, WUNC reported: two campaign spokespeople and a bodyguard.

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“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,” a Robinson campaign news release announcing the resignations stated. “I look forward to announcing new staff roles in the coming days.”

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The resignations follow a CNN report, released late last week, accusing Robinson of leaving comments on a website called “Nude Africa” in which he referred to himself as a “Black nazi,” said he wanted to own slaves, admitted to spying on women in showers, and declared his love of transgender porn and extra-marital threesomes with his sister-in-law.

In a thread on the porn site seeking literature recommendations, one of Robinson’s alleged accounts recommended Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

“Mein Kampf is a good read,” the user wrote. “It’s very informative and not at all what I thought it would be. It’s a real eye opener.” Hitler’s book describes Jewish people as an “eternal parasite.”

Robinson insinuated that the years-old comments had somehow been generated by artificial intelligence, even though that appears unlikely. Although some worry that the scandal may endanger Republican chances in the state, especially during a presidential election, Robinson has refused to drop out and the state Republican party has stood behind him.

GC, campaign manager, finance director, and deputy campaign manager resign from Mark Robinson's campaign — pic.twitter.com/G74LHgiYjx

— Medium Buying (@MediumBuying) September 22, 2024

When asked about the scandal, Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance (OH-R) said, “Well, look, the allegations are pretty far out there, of course, but I know that allegations aren’t necessarily reality. 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. I’ll let them make that decision.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, “I think what’s going to happen here is that he deserves a chance to defend himself,” Graham said. “He’s claiming they were artificially created,” adding, “If [reports on comments he made are] true, he’s unfit to serve for office. If they’re not true, he has the best lawsuit in the history of the country for libel…. [I’d] hire me the best lawyer I could find. I’d sue the hell out of CNN, because what they’re saying about him is just unbelievable.”

When asked about Robinson’s absence from former President Trump’s rally in North Carolina on Saturday, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D), the state’s Democratic candidate for governor, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on State of the Union, “Look, Robinson exists because [former President] Donald Trump has lifted him up throughout, and candidates up and down the ballot in North Carolina … need to be held accountable for supporting Mark Robinson and being part of his entire campaign…. They have been supporting him, and now it looks like folks want to run away from him.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) called the scandal “great news for Democrats,” adding, “Robinson is actually, he’s the new dream candidate to run against…. [Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris] has made North Carolina competitive already, and then after Robinson now … we’re in the best possible situation to win.”

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