NC AG DENIES ST. AUG’S
$70 MIL DEAL; SCHOOL
CLAIMS “UNFAIRNESS’
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
What was at first thought to be a vital financial lifeline is now seen as another major blunder for beleaguered St. Augustine’s University (SAU) in Raleigh, one that could cost the small private historically black institution the academic accreditation so vital for its survival.
The NC Attorney General’s Office has refused to approve a $70 million 99-year land lease deal SAU had reached with Florida-based sports stadium and mixed-use development firm 50 Plus One Sports last year, saying that it had “serious concerns” about the terms of the proposed agreement.
In a Jan. 27th letter from the NC AG’s Office, SAU was also told it had not provided sufficient documentation to support the proposed deal, and per the documents that were submitted, there was little evidence of SAU’s “…ability to continue to operate and fulfill its mission if the proposed deal wasn’t substantially improved.
Since the SAU-50 Plus One Sports $70 million proposed land lease agreement involves much, if not all of the school’s 103 acres, state law requires the state Attorney General’s Office to approve the agreement before it can be consummated.
That’s particularly true since SAU is a nonprofit organization.
The proposed deal, if approved, had 50 Plus One Sports paying $60 million to SAU by the end of last year, and then another $10 million by June of this year for leasing most of the school’s property for mixed use development.
SAU, in turn, was planning to use that money to pay off all of it’s substantial debt obligations of $32 million to the federal government, various vendors, and pending lawsuits from former employees. SAU also hoped to use part of the deal proceeds as operating funds.
Ultimately SAU officials had hoped that the proposed deal would show the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) that it had finally gotten its financial house in order, and was worthy of having its academic accreditation permanently restored.
Currently, SAU’s academic accreditation is under probationary status, pending further review by SACSCOC at an appeals hearing scheduled for the end of this month. Without accreditation, SAU cannot obtain student financial aid from the federal government.
According to the NC AG Office’s letter last week, the SAU property cited in the proposed land lease deal is substantially undervalued at $70 million, when it should be listed at $198 million. It also suggested SAU could lose its nonprofit status if certain issues weren’t fixed.
"That large of a gap raises red flags about the defensibility of the deal," the NC AG’s Office letter to SAU said. "Absent further information or justification from the parties, to ensure that SAU's assets remain dedicated to a charitable purpose, the deal should be renegotiated to, among other things, reflect the true value of the property being transferred."
Again, the NC AG’s office contends that SAU has not been forthcoming with information about the deal it says is needed for approval. SAU, in turn, says it holds out hope that the deal will be approved by the state. Even so, SAU officials expressed “significant concerns about fairness” on the NC AG Office’s part.
“The AG’s Office has the lifeline of the university in its hands,” SAU says.
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ROBINSON “TURNS PAGE”
ON POLITICAL CAREER,
DROPS CNN LAWSUIT
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Saying that he and his family “are turning the page,” former NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who made history by being elected the first African-American ever to serve as North Carolina lieutenant governor, only to dramatically lose in his bid to become the state’s first Black governor, issued “an important life update” to his many followers on social media, confirming reports that he was leaving politics.
Robinson added that he was also dropping his lawsuit against cable news giant CNN after it ran a story alleging that he frequented online pornography sites prior to entering politics.
Robinson, who at one time commanded the attention and support of the national and state Republican Parties, and the respect of then 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump, began his Jan. 31st “life update” to followers saying, “The words of our Savior, along with the earthly reality that costly litigation and political gamesmanship by my detractors makes clear that continuing to pursue retribution from CNN is a futile effort.”
“That is why I have asked [Atty.] Jesse Binnall and his legal team to terminate any continued attempt to litigate with CNN on my or my family’s behalf.
Robinson continued, “The fact of the matter is this: the price we have paid in entering the political arena will never be recognized. There is no dollar amount high enough. While it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of North Carolina, the continued political persecution of my family and loved ones is a cost I am unwilling to continue to bear.
“I give great thanks to Jesse Binnall and his team of investigators for their countless hours of work, dedication, and compassion. The investigation of CNN and their “sources” yielded tremendous results and brought closure to our family during what has been an unimaginably dark situation.”
The Greensboro native went on to thank the “courageous whistleblowers” who allegedly came forward to help his case against CNN, telling them that he appreciated them.
“I will continue to utilize my platform to promote and support many of the issues we are all so passionate about; however, at this time, I will do so from the sidelines,” Robinson added.
“I will not run next year, nor do I have plans to seek elected office in the future,” he said, killing rumors that he may run for the US Senate seat currently held by fellow Republican Thom Tillis, who publicly opposed Robinson’s gubernatorial bid, and is up for re-election in 2026.
“Until we change the hearts and souls of those inside the political arena, it is unlikely the political process itself will undergo any meaningful change,’ Robinson continued.
“In closing, I say to each and every one of you, thank you! To those who have supported me and to those who have not, we are all Americans, we all bleed red, and we are all children of God.”
“I love you all. I look forward to what lies ahead,” Robinson concluded, adding, ‘May God bless you, your families, and our great nation.”
Mark Robinson’s meteoric rise in conservative Republican politics, only to rhetorically crash and burn as his star and divisive persona in the public eye came under withering attack after his crude social media remarks about Jews, Muslims, LGTBQ people, women and even Black people were revealed, is a story for the history books.
A down-on-his luck former factory worker as recently as 2018 who went before the Greensboro City Council one evening to stand up for the rights of gun owners, impressing Republican officials with his forceful delivery and conservative views, Robinson found himself plucked from obscurity to run in 2020 as a candidate for NC lt. governor. After defeated a large field of candidates in the GOP primary, Robinson then went on to shock the political world by winning election, becoming second only to then Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in state government leadership.
With his rotund, yet intimidating presence and rhetoric, Robinson shook up the NC Republican Party as he went across the state giving red meat speeches that fired up the conservative base. It wasn’t long before Robinson announced his intentions to run for governor, and his popularity was so strong, even national Republicans like Trump took notice.
Robinson outlasted GOP competition in the gubernatorial primaries, despite being hounded by divisive remarks he was found to have made on social media years earlier. But a CNN investigation into Robinson’s alleged visits to pornography sites, coupled with controversy involving his wife’s businesses, were the nails in the coffin of his campaign.
Despite gallant efforts, Robinson could not overcome the constant negative headlines about him and his family, and soon it became clear that he would not become the conservative culture warrior champion many Republicans had hoped he would be.
Robinson didn’t say anything in his life update about what the future held for him, beyond that he would no longer run for any office.
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