Reporting this week revealed the 2021 calendars of North Carolina leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson. Robinson is the highest-ranking Republican in North Carolina and has previously stated that he is 95% sure he will run for Governor in 2024. 

How is he spending his time as Lieutenant Governor to prepare for this future run? It’s hard to tell. What the reporting failed to mention is that the 2021 calendar Robinson provided includes more than 270 redactions. 

Between September 22nd and 24th, Robinson had what appears to be 10 different meetings or events. However, nine of them are completely hidden on the public schedule leaving only a Fox News interview visible. The large black boxes hiding most of his schedule represent a level of unprecedented secrecy. 

Experts cited in the original reporting explain: “We want to know what public officials and representatives of the people of North Carolina do with their time, and so one of the ways that we can find that out is by looking at how they build their calendars and how much time they spend on different aspects of their public works.”

“It’s disturbing that the highest-ranking Republican in North Carolina feels the need to hide from his constituents. If sunshine is the best disinfectant, then the 274 black boxes on Robinson’s schedule may reflect corruption and rot within the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Voters have a right to know what their Lieutenant Governor is doing on their dime. Mark Robinson ought to release his full unredacted public schedule instead of hiding in the dark,” said NCDP spokeswoman Rachel Stein.

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