Cooper, Robinson have no record of speaking in days before, after or during Helene

Yes, but: Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson have a notoriously "nonexistent" relationship and rarely have appeared together.

Zoom in: Axios requested all records of communication between Cooper and Robinson from Sept. 25-Oct. 10. That includes when Helene made landfall, between Sept. 26 and 27, and the days when emergency efforts were underway.

• There were no responsive emails, letters, text messages, call logs or calendar invites to Axios' request.

What they're saying: Asked if any interactions were unaccounted for, a spokesperson for Cooper said the governor and his staff communicated to the entire council of state — which includes the lieutenant governor — about executive orders "requiring concurrence to speed help to the region."

• Robinson did not respond to Cooper's request to the nine-member council of state to approve an emergency declaration, WRAL reported. He slammed Cooper's response to the storm, calling it "abysmal."
• Robinson's office did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

Zoom out: Helene hit just weeks before the 2024 election. It was also a week after a damning CNN report alleged Robinson had a history of crude posts on a porn website. The scandal sunk his already dwindling chances of winning a race for governor.

• Even Republicans tried to distance themselves from Robinson after the story.

Between the lines: The lack of communication between Cooper and Robinson also raises questions about the purpose of the lieutenant governor's largely symbolic role. For instance, Robinson's vote wasn't needed for the Helene emergency declaration to pass.

• The lieutenant governor's other duties include presiding over the Senate, but only voting to break a tie, and sitting on boards such as the state board of education.
• Robinson becomes acting governor when Cooper is out of state, but Cooper does not notify Robinson when he travels, WRAL reports.