Mark Robinson’s campaign pays $35,000 to settle 2020 finance allegations

The campaign of outgoing Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson paid a $35,000 fine to settle allegations of campaign finance violations stemming from his successful 2020 run for the office.

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Robinson was the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor in 2024, but lost to Democrat Josh Stein in November. The campaign finance probe focused on expenditures and donations for his run for lieutenant governor in 2020.

The audit was sparked by a 2021 complaint filed by longtime North Carolina campaign finance watchdog Bob Hall. In his complaint, Hall examined spending by the Robinson campaign from July 2019 through the end of 2020.

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Hall alleged that tens of thousands of dollars in donations to and expenditures by Robinson’s campaign appeared to violate state campaign finance laws, including allegations of contributions in excess of 2020 limits, unidentified donors, and cash withdrawals from campaign accounts.

The Robinson campaign agreed to pay $35,065.52 to settle the allegations. The settlement was reached Dec. 6. Hall says he was notified by the state elections board that the campaign made that payment Dec. 10.

The settlement also releases the campaign from having to pay for the investigation or having to file amended campaign finance reports for that period. 

Robinson campaign spokesman Matt Hurley said the settlement resolves “filing errors inadvertently made by a treasurer who has not been with the campaign in many many years.”

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Hall said it was unfortunate it took so many years to finish the investigation, adding that the public should have known the scope of the allegations well before the 2024 election.

In the past, the results of the campaign finance audit would have been public record. But a change made by state lawmakers in 2018 keeps such investigations confidential.

Hall said it was unfortunate that the Robinson campaign wasn’t forced to pay the cost of the investigation. “The State Board of Elections is woefully understaffed and underfinanced,” he said. “General Assembly leaders have refused to provide the resources needed to monitor the rapidly increasing volume of private money influencing public elections.”