Mark Robinson Fundraiser Linked to Controversial Religious Group
Lt. Governor Mark Robinson To Hold Fundraiser With Church Accused of Slavery & Child Abuse
Source: Anna Moneymaker / Getty
Tonight’s campaign fundraiser for North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is raising more than a few eyebrows.
As reported by WRAL, the fundraiser is backed by leaders of Word of Faith Fellowship, based in rural Rutherford County. For years, the religious group has been accused of slave labor, financial fraud, the sexual and physical abuse of children and holding cult-like control over its followers.
According to news reports, a handful of leaders at Word of Faith were investigated and charged. Some of them were convicted.
More from WRAL:
The Associated Press reported in 2017 that church founder Jane Whaley — who is also listed as principal of the Word of Faith Christian School — was secretly recorded saying she knew of at least three children who had been sexually abused, but she didn’t report it to authorities. Another secret recording showed Whaley blaming the 13-year-old girl whose molestation led to the conviction of a church leader in 1995, the AP reported.
Whaley’s son-in-law Frank Webster was a local prosecutor until 2017, when the Associated Press reported that he and another prosecutor and church member, Chris Back, “helped disrupt a social services investigation into child abuse in 2015, and had attended meetings where Whaley warned congregants to lie to investigators about abuse incidents.”
Webster is listed as a main sponsor of Robinson’s fundraiser Tuesday; Back is listed as a patron.
“None of the allegations are true,” Webster told WRAL. “Chris and I were investigated by the NC SBI over these claims and we were cleared a long time ago.”
The group gave thousands of dollars in donations to Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign. Robinson has, so far, declined to comment on the fundraiser and his relationship with Word of Faith.
Robinson is set to run against Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Roy Cooper. Stein campaign spokesperson Morgan Hopkins says that Robinson’s affiliation with Word of Faith proves that he is “too extreme and dangerous to be governor.”
Hopkins continued, “It is disturbing, but unsurprising, that Mark Robinson would raise money from leaders of a group alleged to have engaged in child abuse.”
Read more at wral.com.
