In Raleigh, North Carolina, the top aide to Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is resigning from his position within state government, according to a state official on Wednesday. Brian LiVecchi, who serves as Robinson’s chief of staff and general counsel, will step down next Tuesday, as confirmed by state Sen. Benton Sawrey, a long-time acquaintance of LiVecchi. LiVecchi did not respond to requests for comment on any staff changes in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. However, Sawrey praised LiVecchi’s commitment to public service and his dedicated work to improve North Carolina.
Following a CNN report revealing explicit racial and sexual posts attributed to Robinson on a pornography website’s message board, the lieutenant governor’s gubernatorial campaign has experienced significant staff turnover. Over the weekend, four key members, including senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III and campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, departed from their roles. Despite these challenges, Robinson remains determined to rebuild his campaign team and remains optimistic about the upcoming election against Democratic nominee Josh Stein.
The CNN report highlighted past comments allegedly made by Robinson on a porn site’s message boards, including self-identifying as a “black NAZI,” expressing an interest in transgender pornography, and making controversial remarks about historical figures like Hitler and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Robinson, who could become North Carolina’s first Black governor, refuted writing the posts attributed to him by CNN, calling them “false smears.” He has enlisted legal assistance to investigate the origin of these allegations.
Despite Robinson’s denial and efforts to address the controversy, prominent Republicans have distanced themselves from him. The Republican Governors Association has ceased supporting Robinson’s campaign, and other state Republicans are urging him to provide evidence refuting the CNN report’s claims. Furthermore, Robinson’s opponents have raised more funds and launched advertisements criticizing his past statements on various social issues.
In response to the growing scrutiny, Robinson emphasized the importance of focusing on policies rather than personalities in the upcoming election. He reiterated the need for support from fellow Republicans across the state. In his role as Lieutenant Governor, Robinson oversees various duties such as presiding over the state Senate and handling constituent services. His term, like the governor’s, will end at the conclusion of the year.
Robinson’s departure of key staff members and the controversies surrounding his past statements have stirred political tensions in North Carolina, raising questions about the impact on his gubernatorial campaign and his future political aspirations.