MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (WGHP) — Mark Robinson was hospitalized on Friday night after a campaign event in Mount Airy, according to a source close to Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign.

It is not clear at this time why Robinson was hospitalized.

Robinson, the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor and current lieutenant governor, has spent the last week holding campaign events in the wake of a bombshell CNN report.

He announced through his campaign on Tuesday that he hired Binnall Law Group to lead an investigation into a CNN report released about him last week.

The CNN report alleged Robinson made several offensive comments on pornographic website Nude Africa before his political career, including calling himself “a Black Nazi” and expressing support for reinstating slavery. Robinson has denied the report, with his campaign calling it a “smear” and “outrageous lies”.

“As I’ve said from the beginning, the claims from CNN are salacious lies,” Robinson said in a statement. “I will not let these attacks distract us from sharing a better future for our state and I’m glad to be able to bring Jesse Binnall and his team on board to investigate where and how these false smears originated.

“I am confident that Binnall Law Group will leave no stone unturned and enable us to use every legal means to hold CNN accountable for their lies,” he continued in his statement. “In the meantime, my campaign remains laser-focused on the issues at stake in this election.”

Jesse Binall, the law firm’s partner, has previously represented former president Donald Trump in Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Nevada, Trump’s indictment over his handling of classified materials, and several civil cases against him connected to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

In a statement Binall said, “My team and I are looking forward to getting to the bottom of CNN’s claims and we will bring all our resources to bear in getting to the facts. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, his family and the voters of North Carolina deserve nothing less.”

Since the CNN report was released, several key staffers have resigned from Robinson’s campaign and other Republicans have pulled their support for Robinson, including two GOP governors. The lieutenant governor has also not appeared at campaign rallies held by Trump and his running mate, Ohio senator JD Vance, in North Carolina.

Robinson has promised to continue his campaign for governor.

A poll released the same day as the report shows Democratic state attorney general Josh Stein leading Robinson 48% to 40% in the North Carolina governor’s race, with 10% of voters undecided.