A former adult shop worker accused of defamation by North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor is seeking to have the lawsuit against him dismissed, deeming the allegations made by the politician as “bizarre.” The Lieutenant Governor, Mark Robinson, a Republican nominee for governor, filed a lawsuit in Wake County court against CNN and Louis Love Money from Greensboro, claiming they circulated “disgusting lies” about him.
The lawsuit pointed to a recent CNN report alleging that over a decade ago, Robinson posted explicit racial and sexual content on a pornographic website’s message board. Prior to this report, Money had stated in a music video and media interview that Robinson had frequented the porn shop where Money worked in the 1990s and purchased adult videos from him.
In response, Money’s attorneys filed a motion for dismissal on Wednesday, arguing that Robinson’s demand for at least $50 million in damages violated civil court rules requiring a initial declaration of damages exceeding $25,000. They contended that this rule aims to prevent exaggerated demands from influencing the judicial process.
Moreover, the attorneys are seeking dismissal on the grounds that even if the allegations were true, they do not establish a legal basis against Money. They described the claims in the lawsuit as “impertinent and bizarre.”
Robinson’s campaign, in reply to the motion, referred to a news release where he labelled claims by individuals like Louis Love Money as “salacious tabloid trash.” Money reiterated that his statements were truthful, while CNN declined to comment on the lawsuit upon filing and had not responded in court as of Thursday.
Robinson is currently running for governor against Democratic nominee Josh Stein to succeed the term-limited Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Following the CNN report, several GOP officials distanced themselves from Robinson’s campaign, with many key staff members resigning and support from the Republican Governors Association ceasing.
The lawsuit alleges that CNN published its report despite being aware or recklessly disregarding that Robinson’s personal data had been compromised in previous data breaches. The legal battle continues as both parties stand by their positions, awaiting further developments in the courtroom.