Scandal-hit Mark Robinson blows off voting for North Carolina hurricane relief

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson did not vote to pass an emergency relief declaration as Hurricane Helene barrelled towards the state, public records have shown. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said on Tuesday that his office was working with the state’s information and referral service to determine the number of missing, but that “more fatalities” were expected. In a social media post on Tuesday, he added: “Stop waiting on federal resources and allow private industry in to assist with rescue and recovery efforts, and repair infrastructure immediately.” After the news that he did not weigh in on the emergency order was revealed in the media on Wednesday, Robinson again took aim at Cooper and other Democrats, accusing them of not caring to prepare for the storm ahead of time. “While they are playing politics, my team and I remain committed to doing all we can to help our neighbors in the wake of this devastating storm.” Robinson, who recently found himself at the center of a public scandal, is currently running against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein to replace North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.