These companies are bankrolling a multi-million dollar effort to elect Mark Robinson governor of North Carolina
Even before securing the Republican nomination for Governor of North Carolina in March, Mark Robinson had a long and well-documented record of promoting conspiracy theories, maligning LGBTQ people, using anti-Semitic tropes, and demeaning women. Popular Information reviewed Robinson's record previously:
In June 2021, for example, Robinson called LGBTQ people "filth" and said exposure to LGBTQ people and issues in schools was child abuse. In a sermon later that year, Robinson said "straight" couples were "superior" to same-sex couples and compared being gay to "what the cows leave behind." Robinson has also called LGBTQ people “devil-worshiping child molesters.”
On Facebook, Robinson repeatedly minimized the atrocities of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. "I am so sick of seeing and hearing people STILL talk about Nazis and Hitler and how evil and manipulative they were," Robinson wrote on Facebook in 2017. He accused unknown forces of "pushing this Nazi boogeyman narrative all these years."
In 2019, Robinson said that abortion rights were "not about protecting the lives of mothers" but "about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down." Robinson said women choose to have an abortion so that they can keep living "on easy street" and "keep running to the club every Friday night.” He favors an abortion ban from the moment of conception.
None of this prevented the Republican Governors Association (RGA) from throwing its support behind Robinson. In a post on X on March 5, the day Robinson won the Republican nomination, RGA chairman Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) congratulated Robinson and said the organization "look[s] forward to supporting him in the general election."
The RGA has followed through. Data from AdImpact, a company that monitors political ad spending, obtained by Popular Information, reveals that the RGA, an affiliated PAC, and an affiliated non-profit have spent more than $17.3 million since June 11, 2024 on ads in support of Robinson. The money has financed over 20,000 ads across North Carolina supporting Robinson's candidacy. The actual expenditure by the RGA is far higher, as the $17.3 million does not include the cost of producing the ads, polling, or any other activities taken on behalf of Robinson.
The amount that the RGA has spent running ads to boost Robinson's candidacy in the last few months exceeds the total that Robinson's campaign has reported raising this campaign cycle ($15,757,019.87).
On Thursday, CNN reported that in a series of posts on a pornographic message board, Robinson referred to himself as a "Black NAZI" and expressed support for reinstating slavery. He also described spying on women in public gym showers and described himself as a "perv." A separate report in the Washington Post revealed that Robinson, using the same message board, praised Hitler's Mein Kampf, calling it a "good read."
Since that bombshell report, the RGA has not made any statement regarding Robinson's candidacy but, according to AdImpact data, the RGA's ads in support of Robinson's gubernatorial campaign have continued to run across North Carolina.
Where does the RGA get all the cash to support Robinson? Much of it comes from major corporations, which can donate unlimited amounts to so-called 527 groups like the RGA. While corporate donations to federal candidates come from voluntary contributions from employees to corporate PACs, corporate donations to 527s come directly from the corporate treasury. In other words, the revenue these companies receive from customers is being diverted to bolster Robinson's candidacy.
During this election cycle, for example, DoorDash has donated $625,000 to the RGA. This money has been used to support Robinson and other Republican gubernatorial candidates. DoorDash's support of Robinson, who has repeatedly maligned LGBTQ people with crude rhetoric, through the RGA, is not consistent with the company's carefully crafted public image.
The company regularly features LGBTQ-owned restaurants that deliver using DoorDash. On June 1, 2024, the company posted a blog post celebrating Pride Month. DoorDash said that it would spend the month "celebrating the diversity and vibrancy within the LGBTQ+ community by emphasizing how race, gender, sexuality, ability, and other aspects intersect to form unique individual identities." The blog post claimed that DoorDash, "will continue to prioritize investing in and advancing opportunities for historically underrepresented people."
On June 4, 2024, the RGA received a $250,000 contribution from DoorDash. These funds, along with other large corporate contributions, helped finance the RGA's ad blitz in support of Robinson that started later in June.
Like many companies that support the RGA, DoorDash also made six-figure contributions to the Democratic Governors Association (DGA). But these contributions are not equivalent. The DGA is not supporting any gubernatorial candidates that have called themselves a Nazi or advocated for the reinstatement of slavery.
DoorDash did not respond to a request for comment.
Other major corporations backing Robinson through the RGA
Many of the most prominent corporations in America are supporting Robinson's candidacy through the RGA. This has been a critical source of funding for Robinson because, due to his long record of extremism, Robinson has struggled to raise funds even before the publication of the CNN story. He has been badly outraised by his opponent, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D). Just as the RGA started its $17 million ad blitz on Robinson's behalf, Robinson's campaign only had about $6.5 million in cash on hand — money that had to be used to cover all the campaign's expenses, including staff and travel.
Top corporate contributors to the RGA this cycle include Google ($585,000), Walmart ($570,000), CVS ($550,000), Microsoft ($550,000), Travelers Insurance ($460,000), Amazon ($450,000), Deloitte ($400,000), Charter Communications ($385,000), Oracle ($325,000), Pfizer ($300,000), Coca-Cola ($250,000), The Motion Picture Association ($250,000), and Wells Fargo ($250,000).
Popular Information contacted each of these companies and asked if they had any concerns that their contributions to the RGA were being used to support a candidate like Robinson.
Wells Fargo declined to comment. The other companies did not respond.
This candidate is a pig, 🐷, plain and simple. Deserves NO public office EVER. Thank you for reporting.
Must go after the individuals on the committee or board that approves donations.
Great report as always, Judd.