Former Porn Shop Worker Seeks Dismissal of Defamation Lawsuit by North Carolina Lt. Governor

A former porn shop employee, accused of defaming North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, is seeking to have the lawsuit against him dismissed. Robinson, who is also the Republican nominee for governor, filed the suit in Wake County court, asserting that the former worker’s allegations were “bizarre” and that the demand for at least $50 million in damages violates civil court rules.

Robinson’s lawsuit targets both CNN and Louis Love Money, a Greensboro resident, claiming they published “disgusting lies” about him. The controversy centers around a CNN report that surfaced last month, detailing explicit racial and sexual posts allegedly made by Robinson on a pornography website’s message board over a decade ago. In addition, Money claimed in a music video and media interviews that Robinson frequented the porn shop where Money worked and purchased adult videos from him during the 1990s.

Attorneys representing Money filed a motion for dismissal, arguing that Robinson’s lawsuit violated procedural rules that require individuals seeking punitive damages to initially state a demand for monetary damages exceeding $25,000. They contended that this rule is in place to prevent excessive demands from being leaked to the media, potentially tainting the judicial process. The attorneys suggested that Robinson’s approach might have been intended to generate media attention for his gubernatorial campaign.

The dismissal motion also asserts that even if the allegations were true, they fail to establish a valid cause of action against Money. The attorneys described the complaint as containing “many impertinent and bizarre allegations.”

In response to the dismissal motion, Robinson’s campaign referred to a news release announcing the lawsuit, in which Robinson labeled Money’s claims as “salacious tabloid trash.” Money stood by his statements, asserting their truthfulness.

CNN has not commented on the lawsuit, and as of midday Thursday, had not responded in court. Robinson is competing against Democratic nominee Josh Stein in the race to succeed term-limited Governor Roy Cooper. The CNN report has reportedly led several GOP officials, including presidential nominee Donald Trump, to distance themselves from Robinson’s campaign. Following the report, many key staff members in Robinson’s campaign and his lieutenant governor’s office resigned, and the Republican Governors Association ceased its support for his gubernatorial bid.

The lawsuit alleges that CNN recklessly published its report, despite being aware that Robinson’s personal information had previously been compromised in data breaches, raising questions about the credibility of the allegations against him.