Robinson responds to lawsuit over unpaid campaign bill

Former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson responded Thursday to a lawsuit filed against his gubernatorial campaign committee during the closing days of the 2024 election. Political consulting firm Vox Insights accused the Robinson campaign of failing to pay a $114,000 bill.

“Plaintiff’s claims should be barred to the extent it committed a prior breach of contract by not providing the contracted for services,” Robinson attorney Anthony Biller wrote in a 10-page document filed in Stanly County Superior Court.

“For its second affirmative defense, Defendant states Plaintiff’s claims should be barred to the extent the sued upon contract was not executed by someone with proper authority acting on behalf of Defendant. Plaintiff had actual knowledge or should have known the contract was not executed by someone with proper authority,” Biller wrote.

Vox filed its suit on Oct. 28, eight days before voters chose Democrat Josh Stein over Robinson to serve as North Carolina’s governor. The Vox suit arrived as Robinson already faced a higher-profile legal battle with CNN over an article the television network published in September.

The Vox firm provides polling data and related political information to election candidates and committees.

The lawsuit alleges that Vox entered into a contract with the Friends of Mark Robinson committee on Sept. 13 in an agreement to provide polling results in exchange for compensation. Conrad Pogorzelski III, a general consultant for FOMR, executed the contract on the committee’s behalf while he was in North Carolina, the lawsuit alleged. Pogorzelski was Robinson’s campaign manager before stepping down when Robinson refused to withdraw from the election over allegations in the CNN article dealing with comments on pornography sites.

The lawsuit alleges that “on or about” Sept 18, an invoice was sent to FOMR for $114,000 for services performed “pursuant to the contract,” that payment was required within 30 days, and that “FOMR has failed or otherwise refused to pay the invoice.” Furthermore, the suit alleged that VOX believed Robinson’s committee did not intend to pay the bill before Election Day.

“This lawsuit is completely baseless,” a spokesperson for the campaign told WCNC when the suit was filed. “The campaign has resolved all invoices for all previous work from this company and does not owe them one penny. The campaign has not seen any work product from this company on this so-called project, and the work they are alleging was agreed to by a consultant – without Lt. Gov. Robinson’s knowledge or consent – that is no longer with the campaign and had no authority to authorize it. This matter is clearly being pushed by political grifters that are just trying to extort more money from the campaign, and we’re confident that we’ll be successful in court and these bad actors will be exposed.”

Vox claimed damages of more than $25,000. It also sought an injunction and temporary restraining order to ensure Robinson’s campaign had sufficient money to pay its debt. 

Robinson’s legal battle with CNN sits in federal court. The former lieutenant governor filed a court document in December opposing the cable network’s motion to have the lawsuit dismissed. Robinson also seeks to have the case returned to state court, where it was originally filed.

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