Oct. 15 (UPI) — North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on Tuesday sued CNN for publishing posts allegedly made by Robinson on a pornographic website many years ago and seeks at least $50 million.
Robinson, who is the Republican candidate in North Carolina’s gubernatorial race, accuses CNN and co-defendant Louis Love Money of two counts of defamation in the lawsuit filed Tuesday in North Carolina’s Wake County Superior Court.
“This is a high-tech lynching on a candidate who has been targeted from day one by folks who disagree with me politically and want to see me destroyed,” Robinson told media during a press conference in Raleigh, N.C.
“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,” Robinson said.
Robinson described CNN as “one of the world’s most well-recognized media companies” and Money as a 52-year-old North Carolina resident and lead singer of a punk rock band called Trailer Park Orchestra. Robinson says Money recently changed his name from Louis Alan Wooten.
Robinson said that on Aug. 11 Money posted a music video titled “The Lt. Governor Owes Me Money” the depicts a masked man that Robinson says represents him entering a pornographic video store to buy and watch pornographic videos.
Money, in the video, sings lyrics that accuse Robinson of owing money for a “bootleg” pornographic video that Money allegedly made for the lieutenant governor.
Robinson said a “major online publication” called The Assembly — which he says is affiliated with George Soros — on Sept. 3 published an article titled, “Ex-Porn Shop Employees Say Mark Robinson Was a Regular. He Denies It.”
In the article, Money accuses Robinson of frequenting a pornographic video store where he worked during the 1990s and early 2000s and “spending a good amount of money” on viewing and buying pornographic videos, Robinson said.
CNN published an article on Sept. 19 titled, “‘I’m a black NAZI!’: NC GOP nominee for governor made dozens of disturbing comments on porn forum.”
“These falsely attributed statements include several lewd, sex-obsessed, racist and outrageous statements” allegedly made by Robinson on website called NudeAfrica, he said.
Robinson also said the CNN article falsely claims he made an account on AdultFriendFinder.com.
Robinson describes CNN as a “politically left-wing media outlet, whose reporting is often indistinguishable from Democrat party talking points and opposes politically conservative candidates for office.”
Robinson said his personal information was compromised by a data breach and anyone could have used that information to create accounts on the cited websites and others while hiding their respective names and identities.
Robinson said he sent a notice demanding a retraction to CNN on Oct. 1 and another notice requesting the source information on Oct. 3 for forensic analysis.
Robinson said CNN on Oct. 4 refused to retract the story or provide the source material.
“CNN had every reason to doubt the veracity of the data upon which it relied,” Robinson said.
The NudeAfrica website has deleted the section in which the posts allegedly were made, and all its posts, and CNN did not verify the information, Robinson said.
CNN also relied on “unverifiable, dark web-sourced data breach files” and “recklessly disregarded the fact” that his personal information, including email and passwords, had been stolen,” he said.
Robinson seeks compensatory and punitive damages of no less than $50 million from CNN and Money.
Several of Robinson’s top aides have resigned after CNN published the story.
CNN did not immediately reply to an email request for comment.
