Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, finds himself at the center of a major scandal. Following a CNN investigation that accused him of making racist and inappropriate statements on a pornographic message board, he has appointed a new campaign manager.

CNN’s report linked Robinson to an account on the pornographic site Nude Africa, using similar demographic details and writing styles found on his social media accounts. The troubling comments, posted between 2008 and 2012, included remarks supporting slavery and identifying himself as a “black NAZI.”

Furthermore, Robinson was criticized for his prior public statements advocating for the arrest of transgender individuals who use restrooms aligned with their gender identity, while allegedly expressing enjoyment for transgender pornography and sharing a story about “peeping” into a women’s gym shower during his youth.

In a Facebook video and an official statement to YSL News, his campaign denied that the questionable posts were authored by Robinson, suggesting without evidence that North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, his Democratic opponent, was behind the leaks.

Robinson confirms his candidacy

In spite of significant criticism, Robinson has declared his intention to continue in the governor’s race.

“Let me assure you that the words you see in that story are not my words,” he stated in a Facebook video released on Thursday. “We are in this race to win it.”

In response, Stein’s campaign emphasized that “Josh is focused on winning this campaign to create a safer, stronger North Carolina for everyone.”

Prior to the release of the CNN report, polling indicated that Stein was already leading Robinson. Following the report, Elections Daily changed its assessment of the North Carolina governor’s race from “leans Democratic” to “safe Democratic.”

Impact on the presidential race

The fallout from Robinson’s alleged comments extends beyond his campaign, providing ammunition for Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign against Donald Trump, who endorsed Robinson in March.

The Harris campaign swiftly responded to the CNN findings by releasing a video mocking Trump and Robinson as “best friends,” while also referencing Trump’s past comment labeling Robinson as “Martin Luther King on steroids.”

At a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina on Saturday, just two days after the CNN story broke, Trump failed to mention Robinson and avoided touching on the governor’s race entirely.

The Harris campaign has confirmed that the Democratic party will launch billboard and television ads linking Trump to Robinson, with the aim of diminishing Trump’s support in North Carolina, which could influence the presidential election results.

Changes in Robinson’s campaign team

As a result of the ongoing scandal, several members of Robinson’s campaign have resigned.

The Robinson campaign announced on Sunday that campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, deputy campaign manager Jason Rizk, finance director Heather Whillier, and senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski have all left their positions.

“I am grateful to all of these team members who have made the tough decision to part ways with the campaign and wish them only the best in their future pursuits. I anticipate announcing new staff appointments shortly,” Robinson stated in his announcement to YSL News.

Latter that day, Jack Burkman was named as Robinson’s new campaign manager. Burkman is known as a Republican lobbyist and conspiracy theorist who has previously been convicted of felony telecommunications fraud and has been involved in controversies, including making false sexual harassment claims against former FBI Chief Robert Mueller and others.

Contributions to this article were made by Kinsey Crowley. Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at YSL News, concentrating on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_