Bankruptcy: A not-so-beautiful day in the neighborhood
It’s been a while since we wrote about former GOP lieutenant governor and gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson. His personal life –and his political adventures — begat quite a bit of scandal and controversy which begat lots of news copy.
What arguably took Robinson down was stories about his visits to porn video stores and websites. However, we spent more than a year documenting some serious financial questions about a family-owned and operated government contracting business that employed Robinson, his wife, and – at times – their son and daughter.
The business – Balanced Nutrition – was operated for eight years. The state performed a review of the first three months of 2024 and found about $130K worth of tax dollars Balanced Nutrition should not have been paid. (Looking at all eight years – we believe – would have amounted to a much larger debt for the Robinsons.)
Some mediation and discussions with the state led to the reduction of the Robinson’s debt to taxpayers down to about $101K. The matter was turned over to the state Department of Justice for collection. Robinson lost the governor’s race and left the lieutenant governor’s office.
That was the last we heard until Election Day 2026 — when Robinson and his wife filed for bankruptcy:
Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s former lieutenant governor, and his wife are seeking federal bankruptcy protection, according to court records filed this month.
Robinson and his wife, Yolanda Hill, are seeking personal protection under Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 13 enables wage-earning debtors to manage debt payments in a way that helps them pay off their debt over a period of years, and possibly protect some assets, such as homes, from foreclosure.
In a Nov. 3 filing, Robinson and his wife report having $766.98 in the bank but owing creditors nearly $800,000 — including tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt.
Their assets include more than half a million dollars worth of property, mostly from their home in Colfax, valued at about $437,000. They also report owning two 2021 vehicles, a Cadillac Escalade and Chevy Silverado, worth about $80,000. Other property includes furniture, clothes and electronics, a set of golf clubs valued at $25, a $2,000 golf cart and a gun collection worth about $6,000.
Their debts include about $120,000 in credit card debt, another $94,000 in other debt and about $100,000 from collections accounts.
One item listed in the filing is a potential debt that Robinson might end up owing a former friend-turned-political nemesis, Greensboro-area musician Louis Love Money. Robinson sued Money for defamation during his run for governor but dropped the lawsuit after losing the race. Money later sued Robinson, seeking to recoup the money he says he had to spend defending himself from Robinson’s lawsuit. The lawsuit is pending, and the status of the debt was listed as disputed in Robinson’s bankruptcy filing. […]
Some of you may remember this music video Money produced during the gubernatorial campaign to aid his efforts to collect from Robinson.
Mark Robinson 2024 and Mike Whatley 2026 had some interesting things in common. Primary races were suppressed and quashed for both men. DC and Raleigh shoved both men down our throats. Neither man went through any serious vetting. Both men turned out to be absolute political disasters.
What have we learned (hopefully)? Robust, wide-open primaries are important. Voters get educated and are treated to somewhat of a test-drive before the general election. It’s arguably better for a party’s voters to learn about a candidate’s flaws before the general election.
