Key staffers exit Mark Robinson campaign for NC governor in wake of report about online posts

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN/AP) — Just days after a CNN report outlining evidence that North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson made disturbing posts on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago , several key people in the Republican’s campaign for governor stepped down, his campaign announced Sunday afternoon.

Conrad Pogorzelski III, general consultant and senior advisor; Chris Rodriguez, campaign manager; Heather Whillier, finance director; and Jason Rizk, deputy campaign manager “have stepped down from their roles” with the campaign, a news release said just after 5 p.m.

In his first public appearance since Thursday’s CNN report, Robinson spent several minutes Saturday evening speaking and leading a prayer at the Fayetteville Motor Speedway. He didn’t mention the CNN report or answer questions from reporters on hand.

The Sunday campaign announcement did not elaborate on the departure of the senior staffers. In Sunday’s announcement, the campaign said new staffing would be released “soon.”

Robinson also included comments in the news release Sunday.

“I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors. I look forward to announcing new staff roles in the coming days,” the news release said.

Pogorzelski, who helped Robinson become lieutenant governor in 2020 in his first bid for elected office and later became his chief of staff, said separately on Sunday that additional staffers also left the campaign, including the deputy finance director, two political directors and the director of operations.

Pogorzelski, in a text, said that he “along with others from the campaign have left of our own accord.”

Sunday evening, a member of the Democratic Party leadership released a statement about the staffing change.

“These Robinson senior staffers didn’t quit when he mocked school shooting survivors and rape victims, or when he called LGBTQ+ people ‘filth’ and fantasized about returning to a time when women couldn’t vote. They knew who he was. They’re resigning now because everyone knows who he is,” Zach Finley, president of the Young Democrats of North Carolina, wrote in a statement to CBS 17.

On Saturday night, Robinson spoke to an apparently supportive crowd at the speedway just south of Fayetteville in Cumberland County.

“We’re going to focus on the issues that you are concerned with,” Robinson said. “While everybody else wants to focus on the garbage, and the trash that tries to besmirch people, we’re out here telling people about what we want to do, how we want to partner with you to make this state better and help North Carolina be better.”

Robinson earlier denied writing the posts, which include lewd and racist comments, saying Thursday that he wouldn’t be forced out of the race by “salacious tabloid lies.”

He directed his focus to other issues on Saturday.

“We’re going to work our butts off to make sure that we build an economy in this state that works for everybody,” Robinson said.

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