Mark Robinson ends defamation lawsuit against CNN over 'black NAZI' article

RALEIGH, N.C. (CN) — Former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson voluntarily dismissed his defamation lawsuit against CNN on Friday after suing the network last year for reporting on comments he was accused of leaving on pornography forums.

In September, CNN reported that in the 2000s, Robinson had posted online comments calling himself a “black NAZI” and supporting the reintroduction of slavery. He also reportedly said he enjoyed transgender pornography and secretly peeped on women in gym showers as a teen.

Robinson continues to deny that he made the posts.

“The price we have paid in entering the political arena will never be recognized,” Robinson said in a press release. “There is no dollar amount high enough. While it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of North Carolina, the continued political persecution of my family and loved ones is a cost I am unwilling to continue to bear.”

A hardline conservative, Robinson had previously come under fire for expressing vocal antiabortion views despite his wife having had one. He was also accused of making antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ comments.

Robinson was the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, but he lost his campaign for governor in November to Josh Stein by a landslide, 54% to 40%. Prior to CNN’s article, it had been a relatively close race.

Robinson asked for damages of $50 million when he first filed his complaint in October. He claimed that CNN defamed him, got information from unreliable archives and didn’t adequately consider the possibility that his personal passwords and emails have been stolen.

In the wake of the scandal, Robinson faced public pressure from fellow Republicans demanding he disprove CNN’s reporting. The story also led to an exodus of his staff, as many working on his campaign and for him in the lieutenant governor’s office quit.

His case began in state court, but it was removed to federal court by CNN. The network claimed that Robinson had named Louis Love Money — a singer who made a music video about Robinson owing him money for producing an adult video — as a defendant in an attempt to keep the case in state court.

The parties had been awaiting an order after CNN and Money’s attorneys had asked the court to dismiss Robinson’s case for failing to prove actual malice, which is necessary to succeed in a defamation case against a public figure.

“Because courts handle serious disputes amongst parties, not political theatre by a losing gubernatorial candidate, this case should be dismissed,” Money said.

Both defendants warned that a jury pool had been tainted by Robinson’s decision to name a $50 million sum for damages in his original complaint, as civil court plaintiffs in North Carolina are only allowed to claim that damages exceed $25,000 in their filings.

The defendants had also been fighting against returning the case again to a Raleigh court, which Robinson had asked the court to allow him to do.

For now, Friday’s voluntary dismissal represents an end to the legal saga — though Robinson could choose to refile within a year. It’s a win for CNN, which declined to comment on the case.

In a statement, Robinson said he does not have plans to pursue elected office again in the future.

“Until we change the hearts and souls of those inside the political arena, it is unlikely the political process itself will undergo any meaningful change,” he said.

Follow @SKHaulenbeek Follow @shaulenbeek.bsky.social