Top staffers have resigned from the campaign for Mark Robinson, the controversial Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, after his alleged comments on a pornography website surfaced. 

The controversy has roiled elections in one of the most crucial battleground states. The Kamala Harris campaign is hoping the scandal will give her a boost in a state many see as a must-win for President Trump.

Robinson campaign shaken up

Robinson has long been known for fiery rhetoric on social issues, leading critics to label him a bigot. He resisted calls to drop out of the governor's race last week after CNN reported on his alleged online posts on pornography site Nude Africa.

In the posts, Robinson allegedly called himself a "black NAZI," praised slavery and disparaged Martin Luther King, Jr. as a "commie b------" and "Martin Lucifer Koon."

Days after the posts surfaced, Robinson announced that general consultant and senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, finance director Heather Whillier and deputy campaign manager Jason Rizk had all resigned.

“I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors,” Robinson said in the statement, adding that his campaign “will continue to focus on the substantive issues at stake in this election.”

In addition, Pogorzleski said that political director John Kontoulas, political director Jackson Lohrer and director of operations Patrick Riley had also stepped aside.

"The reports are true that I, along with others from the campaign have left of our own accord," Pogorzelski said.

Controversy roils race

Robinson has dismissed CNN's reporting as a smear job to help the campaign of his Democratic opponent, Josh Stein.

Robinson was already trailing Stein in the polls before CNN's report came out, but Robinson maintains that polling has "consistently underestimated Republican support in North Carolina for several cycles now."

President Trump did not mention Robinson, whom Trump has endorsed, during a MAGA rally in Wilmington on Saturday.

“I said, ‘I think you’re better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two,’” Trump said of Robinson in March.

Given the frenetic pace of the news cycle, this controversy may be forgotten shortly. It would also be unusual for a political scandal to travel up the ballot.

A fresh New York Times/Siena College poll taken before the Robinson scandal has Trump ahead in the Sun Belt, including North Carolina, where he leads by 2 points.