North Carolina‘s Republican Lieutenant Governor, Mark Robinson, has filed defamation lawsuit against CNN, alleging the network engaged in reckless reporting.
The suit was filed in Wake County Superior Court and comes in response to a CNN article published less than a month ago, which reportedly prompted several GOP figures, including presidential candidate Donald Trump, to distance themselves from Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign.
During a news conference in Raleigh, Robinson, accompanied by his attorney from Virginia, refuted the claims regarding messages he allegedly posted online. He accused CNN of overlooking the fact that his personal information—including his name, date of birth, passwords, and email—had been compromised in several data breaches.
Aiming to be the state’s first Black governor, Robinson described the CNN report as a “high-tech lynching,” asserting that he has been targeted from the outset by individuals opposed to his political views who wish to see him undermined.
CNN, represented by spokesperson Emily Kuhn, chose not to comment on the lawsuit.
The network reported that Robinson allegedly made provocative remarks on a pornography website’s message board over ten years ago, using the username “minisoldr” on the site “Nude Africa” between 2008 and 2012.
Robinson reportedly made offensive comments, including referring to himself as a “black NAZI” and suggesting that slavery should be reinstated, saying, “Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring it back. I would certainly buy a few.”
Additionally, he has been accused of making explicit sexual remarks, including a preference for transgender pornography. CNN asserted that it verified the account’s connection to Robinson by correlating the username, frequently used email address, and personal biographical details linked to the posts.
The network claimed to have matched the account’s details to Robinson by examining usernames, email addresses, and biographical information such as his age and duration of marriage.