North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson has filed a lawsuit against CNN in the wake of their September exposé that alleges Robinson left bigoted and lewd comments on a porn website forum.
CNN uncovered sexually explicit and pro-fascist comments they claim were by Robinson on the forum of porn website Nude Africa. Under the handle minisoldr, which Robinson has used extensively in many corners of the internet, the ultra-conservative gubernatorial candidate appeared to call himself a "Black Nazi," offer support for the actions of Adolf Hitler and admit he was a fan of porn starring transgender actresses.
Robinson's defamation lawsuit — filed in Wake County, North Carolina earlier this week — called the story a "digital lynching." He's seeking $50 million in damages. The lawsuit blames the use of Robinson's handle and email address on being hacked.
“Any person could have purchased and/or used Lt. Gov. Robinson’s data to create accounts all over the internet,” Robinson's legal team wrote.
The lawsuit also alleged that CNN was reckless in their decision to share the story, saying they “chose to publish despite knowing or recklessly disregarding that Lt. Gov. Robinson’s data were previously compromised by multiple data breaches.”
The revelations led to an exodus among Robinson's campaign staff. In a statement shortly after the mass resignations, Robinson said he appreciated "team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign."
During a Saturday appearance on Newsmax, Robinson continued to claim the comments weren't from him, using the royal "we" to say that he'd never visited the site in question.
"We didn't say these things," he said. We've never been on this site. We don't even know what it is."
"We intend to take CNN to task for this irresponsible reporting on things that are not true," he continued.
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