Sinsheimer: Boylan's 'most embarrassing'

Rep. Joe Boylan, a Republican from Moore County, received a call for his resignation from a recognizable name but from another country.

Joe Sinsheimer, a former Democratic campaign consultant turned political watchdog, urged Boylan's ouster Monday after the freshman legislator was charged with driving while impaired last week, Mark Johnson reports.

"He has quickly replaced Thomas Wright as the legislature's most embarrassing member," Sinsheimer wrote in an email, referring to the Wilmington lawmaker sent to prison last week.

Sinsheimer dispatched his condemnation from Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. He is living there for six months while his wife completes an academic fellowship.

"My legislative record reflects I've kept all my promises to the people of Moore County," Boylan said Monday. "I promise the people of Moore County I will complete the steps necessary to stop drinking altogether. I'm running for reelection and plan to win."

More after the jump.

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Part of Sinsheimer's complaint was that voters would know more about past allegations against Boylan if the legislature's ethics complaints were not handled in secrecy. Allegations surfaced last year that Boylan made improper advances toward Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte Democrat. Cotham declined comment at the time.

"The House leadership has chosen to conduct secret ethics investigations and hide its dirty laundry from public view," Sinsheimer said, adding that House leaders needed to act, as the institution's reputation was again at stake.

Bill Holmes, spokesman for House Speaker Joe Hackney, said no ethics complaint was filed against Boylan regarding last year's incident and none has been filed regarding the driving while impaired charge. "The (ethics) process didn't hide anything," Holmes said, "because there was
no complaint to hide."

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With sincere respect for Mr. Sinsenheimer's concern for the Institution, Mr. Holmes is correct in pointing out that no ethics complaint has been filed against Rep. Boylan with regard to anything, and as to the earlier gossip, Rep. Cotham expressed a proper resentment at being drawn into an old intra-Republican Party struggle.

There were rumors about the “real reason” beyond those medical reasons cited at the time Rep. Boylan fainted on the House Floor and there were ridiculous whispers spread around at nearly the same time of his have shown “inappropriate attentions” to a House page last summer; a page who turned out to have been his daughter, around whose shoulders he dared drape his arm in a public restaurant. O, Scandal!

Was there any similar concern for the Institution when another Representative was charged with DUI a few weeks ago?

No, and that’s because whispers and gossip are not the same as formal complaints and nor is the transitory focus of the moment by some on unfounded charges, looking like mere opportunism than any of the true and dignified nature of Mr. Sinsenheimer’s public attentions upon former Speaker and fellow Democrat Jim Black.

Mr. Sinsenheimer is either showing partisan colors or he needs to catch up on the news. His declarations from Vancouver appear uncharacteristically under-researched.

Sinsheimer: Boylan's 'most embarrassing'

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