Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, his lawyers announce defamation lawsuit against CNN
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, alongside his legal team, announced Tuesday he has filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN, alleging the news organization defamed the lieutenant governor and interfered in North Carolina's gubernatorial election through false and shoddy reporting in its article about Robinson in September.
CNN's story claimed that Robinson - under a username he frequently used online -- made several inflammatory comments on a message board of a pornography website more than a decade ago, including one comment where he allegedly referred to himself as a "black NAZI!" ABC News has not confirmed this reporting or the online username alleged to be linked to him. Robinson and his legal team continue to deny the article's allegations and assert the posts were created by someone using hacked information that was disseminated about Robinson on the dark web.
"Today, we are taking the first step to do exactly what I said I was going to do after these scurrilous attacks were launched against myself and my family," Robinson said. "We are holding CNN accountable, and we are going to get to the bottom of what's going on here, and we are glad to be here today to be able to do that."
After the report was published, several of Robinson's campaign staffers resigned. In addition, the posts were subsequently removed from the message board.
Calling the CNN report a "high-tech lynching" on a candidate that has always been targeted, Robinson added, "We are glad to take these first steps to fight back against what we consider to be one of the greatest examples of political interference in this state's history and quite possibly this nation's history."
SEE ALSO | Mark Robinson vows to stay in the race, calls reports of his porn message board use 'tabloid trash'
Robinson's lawyer, Jesse Binnall, said the lawsuit is seeking $50 million in damages.
"What our investigation has shown so far is that there were a number of inconsistencies that were used -- that went beyond journalistic standards in the way that CNN performed their reporting," Binall said, adding, "First of all, let me say that we continue to - that Lieutenant Governor Robinson has always said these allegations are completely false... what CNN did, and what others that they have worked with have done in this case, is tantamount to what we truly believe is this journalistic hit job in order to interfere with an election."
Asked if they have any evidence to back up their claims, Binall referred reporters to the complaint as "a rundown of our evidence, but let me say really clearly when they say, for instance, biographical data, where they say other things that might be consistent with the way that that he's known to talk, and that he did talk at the time on Facebook, an open Facebook account -- that is simply nothing that is compelling that CNN has brought forward for information that is nothing more than data breach information that could come from anyone at any time"
The lawsuit itself-which continues to deny the article's claims as well-alleges that CNN published the story "despite Lt. Gov. Robinson's explicit denials, chose to publish the CNN Article based on data from a dubious website, supposed corroboration from unverified-indeed, unverifiable-data, apparently sourced from hacked, data breach files, obtained from the dark web. It chose to publish despite knowing or recklessly disregarding that Lt. Gov. Robinson's data-including his name, date of birth, passwords, and the email address supposedly associated with the . . . account-were previously compromised by multiple data breaches"
Binall added that they will be able to find more with subpoena power and discovery through the court process. He claimed later that they had asked CNN for a retraction or to examine the data they used to get the information in the story, and that CNN declined.
CNN and singer and social media personality Lewis Love Money are both named in the lawsuit; Binallsaid that Money took actions that were also defamatory to Robinson. The lawsuit claims Money made defamatory and false statements about Robinson in a music video and in a subsequent interview, and that the CNN article referenced them. It does not allege that Money spoke to CNN.
Binall declined to share any speculation or make allegations against others who might have been involved in potentially providing reporting to CNN: "There are a number of other parties that we believe are that we'll be able to come forward within time... But I'm not going to do what CNN did by using guesses to put those names out there right now."
CNN declined to comment when contacted by ABC News.
SEE ALSO | North Carolina Democrats, Republicans react to latest Mark Robinson scandal
