Mark Robinson gun raffle raises campaign finance questions
Since 2019, Robinson has been accused of omitting key details from campaign finance reports.
North Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson may have broken the law by not disclosing the source of guns raffled off by his campaign.
Robinson is currently running in the Republican primary for North Carolina governor. He was endorsed by the National Rifle Association on Feb. 13.
In September 2023, Robinson’s campaign held a fundraising dinner that featured a raffle for an AR-15 rifle and two handguns. The AR-15 had an estimated value of $1,550 while the handguns were valued at approximately $530 each. Tickets for the dinner ranged from $300 to $5,000. Raffle tickets were sold separately at $50 apiece.
Under North Carolina election law, Robinson’s campaign is required to disclose any guns purchased by or donated to the campaign. Robinson’s year end finance report for 2023 shows no such transactions.
This is not the first time Robinson has been accused of skirting campaign finance law.
On three separate occasions between 2019 and 2020, Robinson held gun raffles and failed to report the source and value of the firearms. The 2019 raffle included an AR-15 as well as two electric guitars autographed by rock musician Ted Nugent. The guitars were included on Robinson’s campaign finance disclosures but the AR-15 was not.
A complaint was filed with the North Carolina State Board of Elections in 2021 flagging issues with Robinson’s 2020 campaign finance reports. Among the highlighted items were two unexplained cash withdrawals, missing donor information, and donations exceeding the allowed maximum amount.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections is currently investigating these claims. A Robinson spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.
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