Former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson has withdrawn his defamation lawsuit against CNN, which stemmed from a report alleging he made explicit posts on a pornography website’s message board over a decade ago.
The voluntary dismissal notice, filed Friday in U.S. District Court, did not specify a reason for the decision. However, in a separate statement, Robinson cited a Bible verse, stating that the “costly litigation and political gamesmanship” surrounding the case made it clear that pursuing legal action against CNN was “a futile effort.”
“It is more honorable to bury an injury than to revenge it,” Robinson said. “While serving the people of North Carolina has been the honor of a lifetime, the continued political persecution of my family and loved ones is a cost I am unwilling to bear.”
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Robinson, a Republican who lost his bid for governor in November, had denied writing the posts mentioned in CNN’s September report. He filed the lawsuit shortly after the report’s publication, and the case was awaiting a judge’s ruling on CNN’s motion to dismiss.
On Friday, Robinson also announced he has no plans to seek elected office in the future, dispelling speculation about a potential 2026 U.S. Senate bid.
“Today, my family and I are turning the page,” he said.
CNN’s report alleged that Robinson made controversial statements on the NudeAfrica message board, referring to himself as a “black NAZI” and expressing a preference for Adolf Hitler over then-President Barack Obama. The report also claimed he criticized the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot” and admitted to enjoying transgender pornography.
READ ALSO: Mark Robinson criticized by Black pastors for reported remarks on Martin Luther King Jr.
Robinson had already faced scrutiny for inflammatory remarks on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. The CNN report dealt a major blow to his gubernatorial campaign, leading to Republican allies distancing themselves, a decline in fundraising, and staff resignations. His campaign finance filings showed he spent at least $117,000 in legal fees related to the lawsuit.
Robinson’s attorneys argued that CNN failed to properly verify its claims, stating the NudeAfrica website had been hacked years ago and was running on outdated software. CNN defended its reporting, asserting that journalists connected the account details—such as usernames, an email address, and writing style—to Robinson’s known online presence.
Robinson also sued Louis Love Money, a former porn shop worker who alleged that Robinson frequently purchased pornography from the store where he worked in the 1990s. Robinson denied the claim, but Money stood by his statements. The claims against Money were also dismissed Friday.
No comment has been made by CNN so far on the case’s dismissal.
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