Mark Robinson made inflammatory comments that could jeopardize his bid for governor — and the Republican Party’s quest to gain full statewide power in the swing state of North Carolina.
The lieutenant governor is also being crushed in fundraising by his Democratic opponent, the attorney general Josh Stein.
It’s against this backdrop that Republicans on Tuesday approved a campaign finance proposal that changes how funds flow to state parties and the accountability requirements associated with that money. But Democrats are crying foul, saying the Republican Party rushed to introduce surprise changes to state law that would allow donors to support Robinson without having to directly link their names to his candidacy.
“If you don’t want the responsibility you get as a donor by supporting someone who is a very extreme candidate, like Mark Robinson, this is a way to hide your money,” said Morgan Jackson, senior advisor to Stein and North Carolina. Governor Roy Cooper. The Democratic governor is expected to veto the legislation – setting up a potential override of the Republican supermajority.
Republicans in North Carolina have been tantalizingly close to total control. The battle for government in this rare southern state, where former President Donald Trump leads in the polls, highlights the Republican Party’s bid to present a hot button candidate. Democratic lawmakers and strategists argue that Republicans’ action in Raleigh was prompted by the upcoming Stein-Robinson showdown in November, one of only two gubernatorial races in swing states this year.
Republicans argue the bill was necessary to undo parts of a 2020 State Board of Elections advisory memorandum that they say unfairly benefits Democratic-leaning groups.
“Campaign finance reform is simply intended to level the playing field that tilted in Democrats’ favor following a 2020 conspiratorial deal,” said a North Carolina Republican Party statement provided to POLITICO. “This decision excluded Republican groups while favoring Democratic groups who wanted to be involved in North Carolina elections. This change restores parity in campaign finance laws and shows, once again, why partisan control over election administration in North Carolina must end.”
The bill would allow national political groups to give unlimited amounts to state parties and affiliated political committees and bypass campaign finance reporting requirements. These national groups, called 527 organizations, collect donations from individuals, businesses and labor interests, and forward some of those funds to state political committees, which then donate to preferred candidates.
Critics say the change allows wealthy donors to support candidates with untraceable donations, empowering state committees to act as intermediaries.
“Mark Robinson is so dangerous for North Carolina that even many Republicans are increasingly concerned about supporting him,” Meghan Meehan-Draper, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement. new scheme to allow mega-donors to spend millions to support Robinson without having to answer for their extremism and fringe conspiracies.”
A spokesperson for Robinson’s campaign declined to comment. The RGA did not respond to requests for comment.
But Republicans who support the change argue that it levels the playing field, in part because the DGA and RGA, both 527 groups, classify their donations differently. The DGA segregates donations from corporate sources, while the RGA does not. Under current state law, companies and labor groups are prohibited from donating directly to political candidates.
In addition to clouding disclosure requirements, the changes also make it more difficult for the State Board of Elections to oversee contributions.
“We have this incredibly important gubernatorial race and it’s really important for the public to understand what money comes into the state and where it comes from,” said Ann Webb, policy director for the advocacy group Common Cause North Carolina. “It’s really concerning that there’s an effort here to make this more difficult.”
Democrats also oppose the way Republicans pushed through the changes. It was added to an unrelated bill on face masks and penalties for protesters, and passed the state Senate without a debate period. Senate Democrats walked out in protest. But Republicans hold a supermajority in the legislature and the bill easily passed the House on Tuesday.
Cooper’s likely veto will trigger a potential override by the Republican-controlled legislature.
Stein already has a huge financial advantage in the race and has outscored Robinson almost two to one: Stein has $18.6 million to Robinson’s $10.55 million.
But despite discrepancies in fundraising between the candidates, the race remains close. The Cook Political Report recently changed its rating from weak Democrat to a contest, ensuring that national political donors will direct more dollars to North Carolina as the election approaches.
The Stein campaign last week released its first attack ad against Robinson, part of a seven-figure purchase highlighting the lieutenant governor’s past comments on abortion. “Abortion in this country is not about protecting mothers’ lives,” Robinson is seen saying on a 2019 Facebook Live broadcast, in a clip used in the ad. “It’s about killing a child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down,” he said in the clip.
