Under the Dome: Robinson denies CNN report that he posted ‘slavery is not bad,’ called himself ‘Black Nazi’
Good morning! ☀️ Here’s a look at what you need to know about North Carolina politics today, from correspondent Stephanie Loder and our politics team.
A flurry of news about Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson emerged Thursday after CNN published a report tying the lieutenant governor to a litany of racist, disturbing and sexually graphic posts on a pornography website messaging board.
Ahead of the article’s publication, Robinson denounced the story as “salacious tabloid lies” and said he would stay in the race.
Thursday was the deadline for him to resign his candidacy, as absentee ballots begin mailing out to military and overseas voters on Friday morning.
Among the revelations in CNN’s report were that Robinson called himself a “Black Nazi” and said “Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring it (slavery) back. I would certainly buy a few.”
He also described the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with racial slurs, repeatedly used homophobic slurs and admitted to “peeping” on women in gym showers when he was 14 years old, according to the report.
Several Republicans responded with criticism of the statements, or of Robinson. Former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Robinson, issued a statement that did not mention the lieutenant governor.
– Kyle Ingram
How close is NC?
Check out this new interactive tool from the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter to see how changes among demographic groups could swing this year’s Electoral College results.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Journal says in a report Thursday that the presidential race is tighter than ever in North Carolina.
Permits suspended for NC dredging company with political ties
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has suspended permits issued to Dare County for dredging the Oregon and Hatteras inlets, after the company EJE Dredging Service was found to have removed too much material from designated channels, Dan Kane reports. Here’s what we know:
Sensors from EJE’s dredge showed it went 445 feet beyond a 100-foot wide channel in the Oregon Inlet.
EJE launched with $15 million in state money.
EJE’s CEO is former legislative aide Jordan Hennessy, who had influence on lawmakers’ decision to fund the dredging.
Hennessy is already named in two subpoenas linked to a federal investigation on another project in 2020.
Here’s what else the Under the Dome politics team has been working on:
The North Carolina Supreme Court heard challenges on Wednesday to a part of a state law allowing adult victims of child sex abuse two additional years to seek civil damages, according to a report by Virginia Bridges.
UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees Chair John Preyer said Thursday the board would follow North Carolina law on open public meetings. Korie Dean writes that the commitment by the chair was a requisite of the settlement of a lawsuit against the trustees.
Here’s what our colleagues at other media outlets are reporting:
This week is ending in Washington with Congress left with a decision whether to add emergency funding for the Secret Service following a second apparent assassination attempt of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, allegedly by a gunman from Greensboro, the New York Times reports.
And don’t forget to tune in to SNL turning 50. The season kicks off Sept. 28 with Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris, and spoiler alert, SNL’s “Weekend Update” crew Colin Jost — who headlined four months ago at the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner — and Michael Che plan to discuss why Republicans are less sensitive than Democrats, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
VOTER GUIDE
In the latest candidate questionnaires from our 2024 Voter Guide, see what candidates for state Supreme Court have to say about the issues, and learn more about their biographies.
Candidates for that job answered our questions:
Check your inbox tomorrow for more questionnaires, and lots more #ncpol news.
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