North Shore Fundraiser For Controversial Republican Candidate Mark Robinson Called Off

KENILWORTH, IL — A fundraiser for a local Republican organization featuring controversial North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has been called off following a report linking the gubernatorial candidate to a history of disturbing and offensive posts on a pornographic internet forum.

Organized by the Tenth Congressional District Republicans and originally planned for Sunday, the event had been due to take place at an undisclosed location in Kenilworth. Tickets were available starting from $50 per person, up to $150 for a couple to attend a VIP reception.

The money was set to go to unspecified "local candidates" and helping the 10th District GOP's efforts to get out the vote in Wisconsin, the event flyer suggested.

Patch reported plans for the fundraiser on Friday.

On Saturday, the organizers announced "our earlier speaker canceled, but we have secured a great Trump ally for this event!"

But by Tuesday, they had determined Sunday's event would not be happening at all.

"This event is POSTPONED," said Mark Shaw, the 10th District Republican committeeman. "We will be in touch soon regarding the rescheduled event."

Shaw did not respond to a request for comment about the event on Wednesday.

According to state campaign finance records, the Tenth Congressional District Republican Organization, started the quarter with $400 in cash and $17,500 in debt.

Shaw chairs the organization. Earlier this year, he was ousted as vice chair of the Illinois Republican Park amid allegations regarding his conduct at the state convention, where he was accused of voter fraud and threatening fisticuffs.

Since the Robinson fundraiser was announced, the organization received donations of $27,400 from event co-hosts Chad and Marilyn Prodromos and $2,500 from former state chair Don Tracy. Shaw also contributed $41,100 to the organization on Sept. 14.

Five days later, CNN published its investigation into Robinson's posting history on the website Nude Africa.

Robinson's posts on non-pornographic websites and social media platforms had already drawn sharp criticism, and the comments linked to the candidate in the report take it to another level.

The network linked Robinson to the account and posting history through multiple pieces of evidence, including his use of his full name, email address, and a consistent username that he has used across the internet for years. It also reflected key details of his life, including his marriage, family work history, military service and his Greensboro residence.

Plus, both used distinctive phrases like “gag a maggot,” “dunder head,” “I don’t give a frogs ass," and “I don’t give two shakes,” which further linked Robinson to the account, the owner of which described himself as a "black NAZI" and a "perv" and defended both slavery and Adolf Hitler. A follow-up report from Politico found the internet protocol, or IP, address used by the account was registered in part of North Carolina where Robinson lived at the time.

Over the weekend, several of Robinson's top staffers resigned, reportedly after Robinson rejected the opportunity to have tech experts probe the cable network's claims.

Robinson has denied making the posts and has threatened legal action against the network over the report. On Tuesday, he said his campaign had hired law firm Binnall Law Group to investigate the CNN investigation.

“My team and I are looking forward to getting to the bottom of CNN’s claims and we will bring all our resources to bear in getting the facts,” said attorney Jesse Binnall, who has previously represented former President Donald Trump.

Trump endorsed Robinson in the GOP primary, referring to him as “Martin Luther King on steroids." However, the Trump campaign did not invite him to an appearance with the presidential nominee on Saturday in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Earlier: Controversial Candidate Mark Robinson Comes To North Shore Amid 'Nude Africa' Porn Scandal