Gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson on Wednesday accused his Democratic opponent of being “deeply embedded” in the state’s investigation of a now-closed nonprofit run by Yolanda Hill, who’s Robinson’s wife.
Hill’s nonprofit has faced scrutiny by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in recent months for delaying compliance reviews and for not following the state’s administrative cost guidelines for government-funded nonprofits. Robinson claimed during a Trump rally in Asheville the recent reviews by NCDHHS could be related to Anna Stein’s job as a legal specialist for the department — a claim the agency denies.
“My wife ran a successful business for almost 10 years. It wasn’t until some folks inside of that business who don’t like me, found out who I was, and then the games begin. The harassment begins,” Robinson said to the crowd of around 2,400 people. “Now we find out that my opponent’s wife is deeply embedded into the very edges of the whole sway over my wife’s business.”
His campaign put out a news release making the same allegation within an hour of Robinson’s speech.
Anna Stein works as a part-time legal consultant on chronic disease and injury policy. She’s never been involved with any work related to Balanced Nutrition, Hill’s nonprofit that helps child care facilities get food from government programs, said Kelly Haight Connor, an NCDHHS spokesperson
“This attack is ridiculous and completely false,” Josh Stein said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer.
NCDHHS reviews
Hill abruptly announced in April she would shut down her nonprofit as her family’s focus shifted to Robinson’s campaign, The Assembly first reported .
Shortly after, WUNC reported Balanced Nutrition didn’t have a balanced budget and administrative salaries were higher than the 15% of overall funding allowed by the NCDHHS. Budget documents obtained by numerous news outlets showed Hill’s salary was around $140,000 last year, nearly double her salary in 2019.
Hill refused to meet with NCDHHS employees without legal counsel and delayed attempts by the NCDHHS to complete a required compliance review, according to emails obtained by the News & Observer.
At the end of July, NCDHHS ordered Balanced Nutrition to pay the state $132,118 for improperly billed expenses and improper claims related to labor, food, rent and more, including Hill’s high salary. Documents showed Balanced Nutrition sometimes reported the cost of items as higher than they actually were or submit receipts twice. Hill was given 15 days to pay the money or make an appeal, and began the appeal process with the state, Robinson’s campaign confirmed.
Hill told reporters she feels she is being targeted because of her husband, and a statement Wednesday from Robinson’s campaign reiterated that.
“(Hill) helped disadvantaged children through this organization for eight years with no issues… But, after (Robinson) announced his campaign for governor, NCDHHS suddenly began to have issues,” Mike Lonergan, a spokesman for Robinson’s campaign said in a statement. “We’ve seen the weaponization of government against President Trump, and now the Robinson family is experiencing it first-hand.”
Proof of conflicts?
Robinson’s campaign points to a few documents as proof of a conflict of interest with Anna Stein’s employment, including Josh Stein’s 2024 statement of economic interest with the North Carolina State Ethics Commission where he lists his wife as a legal specialist working in public health law for the state.
Anna Stein’s LinkedIn page also lists her as a legal specialist at the NCDHHS, and The News & Observer’s government salary database has Anna Stein listed as a part-time employee at the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources Temporary Solutions program.
Anna Stein’s previous work at the department has been primarily focused on tobacco prevention and smoking cessation efforts, Connor said. Since the fall, she has been a temporary, hourly worker and spent her time working on developing resources for jails and detention centers. Her employment will end by Sept. 9, Haight Connor said.
A spokesperson for Josh Stein’s campaign called the conflict of interest allegations baseless.
“These shameful attacks are baseless and exactly what you’d expect from someone doing everything in his power to avoid responsibility for a dangerous daycare and allegations of six-figure fraud,” spokesperson Kate Frauenfelder wrote in a statement to the Observer.
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