Democratic political consultant and government watchdog Joe Sinsheimer has questioned, and rightly so, the activities of a scholarship program under the control of the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus. The program, which receives donations from corporations and others but doesn't have to disclose details on donors, is reported to have awarded scholarships to five relatives of caucus members -- a small fraction of the total awarded, but troubling nevertheless.

If anything, the legislature needs to turn its attention more intensely on the organization, even beyond requiring more extensive disclosure of contributors to the scholarship fund.

State Rep. Alma Adams of Greensboro, who leads the caucus, defended the scholarship program in a letter to the editor of The N&O and rejected the notion that the program has been used to improperly benefit relatives of caucus members. But in the letter she came very close to calling Sinsheimer a racist because of his questions. (Sinsheimer also has filed complaints with the State Board of Elections over campaign finance issues related to Democratic Reps. Mary McAllister of Fayetteville and Thomas Wright of Wilmington, both of whom are black.)

Adams described Sinsheimer as a "white Democrat" and said he was "viciously" attacking "black Democrat legislators." Writes Adams, "His scrutiny appears racially directed."

This is a sorry spectacle indeed. For one thing, Sinsheimer has been a leading critic of prominent white lawmakers, first among them disgraced former Speaker Jim Black. Not that Sinsheimer needs to attempt to justify his populist activities or to prove he's not doing anything that's "racially directed." Adams provides no evidence whatsoever of some kind of racial motivation on Sinsheimer's part, and her attitude smacks of political low blows in search of justification.

It hurts all lawmakers when one uses the profile of her office to make scurrilous insinuations. Adams owes her colleagues and the public an apology for her comments, and a promise of more open books on the caucus scholarship program.

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