GOP Nominee for Governor of North Carolina Hasn’t Filed Taxes in 5 Years

Taxes are how the government gets money to make sure things work. However, if someone running for governor hasn’t paid taxes in five years, how can you trust them? The Republican nominee for Governor of North Carolina’s tax dodging came out recently. Let’s see what this means.

Several Financial Faux Pas

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has stated before that he’s had some financial challenges in the past, including an inability to repay debts and pay rent on occasion.

However, his bankruptcy records show a stark picture of how little he cares about the social safety net since he hasn’t filed federal taxes in five consecutive years, with the first one being in 1998.

Not a Fan of Taxes

In his campaign statements, he’s come out against the social safety net and has even disparaged those who depend on welfare, saying that they are parasites on the state’s income.

His economically conservative view of welfare goes hand in hand with his view of taxes and their use. Not many should be surprised that he skips out on taxes since they don’t align with his worldview.

Autobiography Details Rise to Prominence

In 2022, Robinson wrote an autobiography detailing how his family went from working class to owning their own business. His wife first started the company in 2000.

As the business, a daycare, grew, Robinson quit his job and decided to dedicate more time to the company. He says that after a while, they could no longer operate the business in their own home and needed a new building.

Glossing Over a Few Details

Robinson states that running a business like this takes time and effort and that it can be pretty challenging to keep it afloat, even in the best of times. However, the account leaves out some details.

Soon after the daycare opened, Robinson filed for bankruptcy. Robinson is well-known for becoming North Carolina’s first-ever Black lieutenant governor.

‘Precious Beginnings’ and Bankruptcy’s End

Precious Beginnings (the name of Robinson’s business) filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in January 2003. Robinson had also filed bankruptcy proceedings on two previous occasions, in 1998 and 1999.

The bankruptcy report is telling, as it highlights a severe amount of debt accrued by the Robinsons, and a staggering inability to pay for the debts they had accumulated.

Nearly a Million Dollars in Debt

The bankruptcy report highlights $290,525 in unsecured debts and $871,550 in secured debts. They also faced the repossession of two vehicles and impending foreclosure on their Greensboro house.

Their assets were minimal at best. The report describes Robinson’s liquid assets as $70 – $30 in savings and $40 in cash. It also notes that Robinson had around $4,720 in personal property.

Unpaid Taxes Detected

During the bankruptcy filing, the IRS discovered he hadn’t paid taxes in five years and filed a motion for the bankruptcy court to compel Robinson to pay his back taxes for the five years he missed.

The IRS stated that they couldn’t say for sure whether his proof of claim was valid since he hadn’t filed taxes with the IRS since 1998. Robinson eventually filed his taxes in May 2003.

A Failed Protection

The Robinsons lost their Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection in October 2003. Official records say this was due to their inability to follow the plan’s requirements.

While this might be news to some people, Robinson’s campaign manager, Mike Lonergan, noted that this was old news that was being recycled to cast Robinson and his campaign in a bad light.

Making No Secret of Financial Hardship

Lonergan said that in all his campaigning, Robinson made no secret of his financial struggles, being open and honest about his bankruptcy and other economic woes he has suffered in the past.

Lonergan went on to say that Robinson’s financial struggles reflect those of the average person in North Carolina, and he’d be well suited for the post of governor since he understood their struggles.

Tax Problems Crop Up Again

In 2022, Robinson was confronted about having hundreds of dollars of unpaid vehicle taxes owed to Guilford County. Initially, Robinson said that his wife handled the taxes.

Based on his past record of filing taxes on time, it was probably a good idea to say that he wasn’t involved in handling the taxes.

Coughing Up What He Owed

He even joked that if he were the one handling taxes, someone would go to jail because he wasn’t very good at math. He would hope it wouldn’t be him.

Eventually, he made a statement denying knowledge of the taxes, but he paid them immediately on discovery. Paying off back taxes seems to be a habit for Robinson.

Robinson Takes Aim At Welfare

In many cases, Robinson has said that he has made mistakes, as have other politicians. However, he’s owned up to his mistakes and learned and grown from them—especially the financial ones.

In a podcast, he noted that welfare was introduced as a way for Democrats to buy the poor vote. He also said that people should be responsible for themselves and that welfare caused the death of personal responsibility.

The Bankruptcy Court Is a Public Institution

Some people say that Robinson’s hate for the public safety net is uncalled for and he’s a hypocrite since he sought the bankruptcy court’s protections in the past.

However, many seem to forget that those protections were withdrawn from his business. He’s been calling on citizens to take responsibility for their finances since he started running.

Will This Change Things in North Carolina?

Sensationalist stories sometimes dig up news that’s been in the public record for some time. This may be one of those times. Robinson’s supporters already know what he’s facing financially and still support him.

On the other hand, people who hold his tax evasion as an example of what would happen if he were elected fail to appreciate that he’s just practicing what he preaches. If he doesn’t pay taxes, then he can’t expect anyone else to pay them, either.