No one saw it coming: Running for governor, neck and neck with Josh Stein, Mark Robinson just got upended.

Robinson’s family business – Balanced Nutrition – is paid by the state to provide meals for needy children in day care centers. Robinson’s wife, who runs the company, makes $160,000 in salary. Robinson, his son, daughter, mother-in-law, have all worked for the company.

A couple of months ago the state asked Mrs. Robinson to meet to discuss her business. She promptly shut down the company.

The state then filed claims against Robinson’s family business. Here’s one example: The state had paid Balanced Nutrition for food for a Greensboro daycare center. But there were no records the center had asked for state money – or that Robinson’s company ever paid the money it got from the state to the daycare center.

In effect the state’s telling Robinson: It looks to us like we paid for food you didn’t provide – and you pocketed $132,000 of taxpayer money. Explain that to us – or pay back the money.

At first Robinson shrugged saying, No Comment. Then he claimed Democrats were pursuing a political vendetta against him – just like they did against Trump. But dodging didn’t work.

Sooner or later Mark Robinson’s going to have answer a simple question: Did the state pay your family business $132,000 for food it didn’t provide? And, if so, where is that money now?