In Raleigh, North Carolina, CNN is requesting a court to reject a defamation lawsuit initiated by Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Republican, who contests the network’s report alleging that he made lewd comments on a pornographic website’s message board. The network asserts that Robinson has not provided any proof that CNN believed its report was untrue or that they broadcast it in a careless manner.
The report, released in September, detailed Robinson’s comments from over a decade ago where he described himself as a “black NAZI” and expressed a preference for transgender pornography. It also noted his controversial opinions, including a preference for Adolf Hitler over Barack Obama and disparaging statements about Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., whom he referred to as “worse than a maggot.” Robinson, who recently lost a bid to become the state’s first Black governor, claimed he did not author those posts and filed the lawsuit in October, just ahead of the early voting period.
In a motion to dismiss filed in federal court in Raleigh, CNN’s legal team contended that Robinson’s claims, suggesting that he was a victim of a possible hacking incident that fabricated those posts, are not only unlikely but “ridiculous.” To prove a defamation case, public figures must demonstrate that the defendant acted with knowledge of the statements’ falsehood or with reckless disregard for the truth.
Attorney Mark Nebrig, who is representing CNN, indicated in his memorandum supporting the dismissal that Robinson failed to provide sufficient grounds to suggest that CNN acted with actual malice when publishing the article. The memo underscores that Robinson’s lawsuit does not include any assertions that would prove CNN doubted the accuracy of its coverage.
Robinson, known for his contentious remarks on various issues, found his campaign significantly impacted by the CNN report. Following the broadcast, many high-ranking members of his campaign team resigned, advertising support from the Republican Governors Association ceased, and prominent Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, distanced themselves from him. Ultimately, Robinson lost the gubernatorial race to Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein by nearly 15 points and plans to exit office by year-end.
Initially, Robinson’s lawsuit was lodged in state court, claiming that CNN relied on information from the NudeAfrica website, which he argued had previously been compromised and ran outdated software. His legal action accuses the network of failing to verify the authenticity of the statements. He is pursuing compensation for damages.
The memo filed on Thursday emphasized the methods employed by CNN to corroborate Robinson’s identity with the username linked to the NudeAfrica account. According to the network, they established connections between the account details and Robinson’s online profiles by examining usernames, email correspondence, and his full personal name. They also identified similarities between the account holder’s life experiences and Robinson’s, including marriage length, geographic location, and familial ties to a historically Black university. Further, CNN noted that linguistic patterns matched those found in both the NudeAfrica posts and Robinson’s social media output.
“This is certainly not a case of CNN ‘disregarding or deliberately avoiding the truth,’ as Robinson claims, but rather a thorough investigation,” Nebrig stated, adding that the network had every reason to believe Robinson authored the posts.
As of Friday, Robinson’s attorneys had not responded to requests for comments. The lawsuit mentions that Robinson’s compromised data could have been exploited by anyone to establish online accounts.
Additionally, the state lawsuit includes claims against Louis Love Money, a former employee at a pornographic store who alleged in a music video, and through media appearances, that Robinson visited the store frequently in the 1990s and purchased adult films. Robinson has denied these allegations.
While Money has initiated his own motion to dismiss the state case, CNN has since shifted the defamation lawsuit to federal court, arguing that this is the appropriate jurisdiction for a North Carolina resident like Robinson and a Georgia-based media organization like CNN, stating that the complaints against Money are unrelated.