Relatives of Black Caucus members received scholarships

Relatives of five members of the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus received scholarships from its nonprofit foundation in 2005 and 2006.

According to a statement issued this afternoon by caucus chairwoman Rep. Alma Adams, roughly $5,400 in scholarships given in those two academic years went to relatives of legislators.

"To the best of the Foundation's knowledge, the scholarship funds benefited students with financial and academic promise, and there was no intention to improperly benefit a legislator," she said in the statement.

Adams confirmed that her daughter was one of the scholarship recipients.

In 2007, the Foundation gave out more than $12,000 in scholarships, none of which went to legislators' relatives, according to the release.

The foundation is reviewing its process for awarding scholarships. Scholarships went to the granddaughter of Rep. Earline Parmon, the son of Rep. Larry Womble and the daughter of Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield.

Rep. Beverly Earle, a Charlotte Democrat who is the immediate past chair of the caucus, also had a family member receive a scholarship.

Her sister's granddaughter received a scholarship to attend North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, but Earle would not provide the young woman's name, age or other details.

Earle said her sister has a small income and was raising two grandchildren, of whom Earle's sister had custody.

"There was nobody more deserving or in need," Earle said today.

Earle also questioned why the black caucus foundation was coming under such scrutiny, saying no other non-profit had been pressured to disclose such information.

"I don't know why the caucus is under attack," she said.