North Carolina Governor Candidate Sues CNN Over Defamatory Claims

North Carolina‘s Republican Lieutenant Governor, Mark Robinson, has initiated legal proceedings against the cable news network CNN. He claims that the network’s recent report, which alleged he made explicit racial and sexual comments on a pornography website message board, was both reckless and defamatory. The lawsuit was filed in Wake County Superior Court and announced during a news conference in Raleigh. Robinson was accompanied by his Virginia-based attorney, Jesse Binnall.

The contentious CNN report, first broadcast on September 19, 2024, suggested that Robinson authored these inflammatory posts over a decade ago. Descriptions in the post included Robinson referring to himself as a “black NAZI,” expressing a preference for Adolf Hitler over then-President Barack Obama, and critiquing civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.”

Mark Robinson, who would become the first Black governor of North Carolina if elected, has denied these allegations. Robinson’s lawsuit accuses CNN of ignoring significant data breaches that compromised his personal information, such as his name, date of birth, passwords, and emails, which allegedly links him to the contentious posts on the message board.

In response, CNN spokesman Emily Kuhn declined to comment on the legal actions. Meanwhile, the lawsuit also targets Louis Love Money, a Greensboro punk rock band singer who in previous statements had alleged Robinson frequented a pornographic shop in the 1990s and early 2000s. The report, which Money had previously shared in music videos and media interviews before the CNN report, claims Robinson was a frequent visitor to the shop where Money was employed.

Polls following the CNN report showed Robinson trailing behind his Democratic opponent, Josh Stein, North Carolina’s current attorney general. As the gubernatorial campaign advances with voting set to begin, Robinson’s campaign strategy has shifted towards more in-person engagement.

Since the CNN report, Robinson’s campaign has faced significant challenges, including the resignation of key campaign and governmental personnel and a withdrawal of support from the Republican Governors Association. Robinson’s legal team, representing previous clients such as Donald Trump, accuses CNN of being part of a broader coalition aimed at sabotaging his gubernatorial bid.

Mark Robinson’s legal team has announced they will deploy every available tool, including subpoenas, to gather evidence. Attorney Jesse Binnall expressed a determination to unearth “bad actors” trying to derail Robinson’s political career. However, the lawsuit provides no direct evidence of any coalition between CNN and other opponents seeking Robinson’s downfall.

The legal case seeks at least $50 million in damages, accusing CNN and its affiliates of a devious campaign to damage Robinson’s character. Meanwhile, Money, standing by his statements, has called Robinson’s lawsuit “bizarre” and a distortion of civil court rules regarding damage claims.