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Candidate for Governor Mark Robinson suggests he's the target of political persecution as state agency investigates his wife's nonprofit.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson arrives for a rally where he announced his candidacy for governor, Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Ace Speedway in Elon, N.C.
Robert Willett
/
The News & Observer via AP
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson arrives for a rally where he announced his candidacy for governor, Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Ace Speedway in Elon, N.C.

Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson is suggesting he's the target of political persecution from the government as a state agency investigates his wife's nonprofit.

In a speech last weekend in Chadbourn at the Strawberry Festival, the Republican candidate for governor says his wife, Yolanda Hill, has been "facing some challenges.”

He says he's concerned there are people in the government who are using their positions to "browbeat the people they don't like." And he compared himself to former President Donald Trump, who's facing his own legal challenges.

“Folks like me, and President Trump and others, are being pushed to the edge through an unfair system," he said.

Hill and her attorney have met in recent weeks with Department of Health and Human Services officials. The agency review comes after her decision to shut down the nonprofit, Balanced Nutrition, which helps childcare centers obtain federal funding for kids’ meals.

The agency says the probe stems from problems with finances and documentation found during a routine review last year, but Hill has questioned whether it's a political vendetta.