A former employee of an adult store is seeking the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed against him by North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, who deemed the accusations made against him to be “bizarre.” The ex-employee, identified as Louis Love Money from Greensboro, is challenging Robinson’s request for at least $50 million in damages, arguing that it conflicts with civil court regulations.
Robinson, who is the Republican candidate for governor, initiated legal proceedings in Wake County against CNN and Money, claiming they disseminated “disgusting lies” about him. The lawsuit highlights a report from CNN that surfaced the previous month, which alleged that Robinson had made sexually explicit and racially charged remarks on a pornography website’s forum over a decade ago. In the weeks leading to the CNN piece, Money claimed in various media appearances and a music video that Robinson was a frequent customer at the adult store where he was employed, even purchasing adult films from him for several years dating back to the 1990s.
On Wednesday, Money’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the suit, asserting that Robinson had breached a procedural rule requiring parties who seek punitive damages to initially specify a monetary demand “in excess of $25,000.” The attorneys indicated that this rule is intended to “prevent excessive demands from becoming public and potentially influencing the judicial process.” They pointed out that the violation of this rule may have been intentional, aiming to garner media attention for Robinson’s campaign.
Aside from challenging the procedural adherence, the attorneys argued that even if Robinson’s allegations were accurate, they did not substantiate a valid cause of action against Money. They characterized the lawsuit as filled with “impertinent and bizarre allegations.” In response to inquiries regarding the motion, Robinson’s campaign referred to a press release from the day the lawsuit was filed, where he denounced claims from “grifters like Louis Love Money” as sensationalized sensational trash.
Money, meanwhile, reaffirmed his stance, insisting that his previous statements were truthful. As of Thursday afternoon, CNN had not issued any comments regarding the lawsuit, nor had it taken any action in court. Robinson is competing against Democrat nominee Josh Stein for the gubernatorial position, succeeding term-limited Democratic Governor Roy Cooper.
The CNN report has led numerous Republican officials and aspiring candidates, including presidential candidate Donald Trump, to distance themselves from Robinson’s gubernatorial aspirations. Subsequently, many key members of Robinson’s campaign team and his lieutenant governor’s office resigned following the report, and support from the Republican Governors Association was withdrawn.
According to the CNN report, evidence was found linking Robinson to the forum through usernames, his full name, and a recognized email address. Additionally, it noted that the details shared by the account holder aligned with Robinson’s personal data, including his age and marriage history. The lawsuit claims that CNN published its article while being aware or disregarding the fact that Robinson’s personal information had been compromised in prior data breaches.