A group of African-American religious and political leaders accused Cincinnati Councilman Phil Heimlich of “racial profiling” by targeting black organizations that receive public funds.

        But Mr. Heimlich, who will end his eight-year career on City Council in December, said he is colorblind when it comes to cutting waste out of the city budget.

        With former Mayor Dwight Tillery in attendance, representatives of the Baptist Ministers Conference, African-American Political Caucus, African American Chamber of Commerce and the Grassroots Leadership Academy released a statement at a Wednesday news conference accusing Mr. Heimlich of a “discriminatory pattern” in his attacks on city-funded programs run by blacks.

        “He continues to attack those African-American organizations and leaders with frivolous accusations and requests for information,” the statement said. “This has continued to be not only a burden for these organizations but also humiliating to otherwise law-abiding organizations and citizens.”

        The group cited Mr. Heimlich's questioning of public funding for the Grassroots Leadership Academy, which trains citizens in community involvement and where Mr. Tillery is a paid consultant; the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative; the Urban League, and the Community Action Agency, among others.

        The black leaders also said they would call for an Ohio Bar Association investigation of Mr. Heimlich, although the statement did not say what they want the bar association to investigate.

        The group claimed Mr. Heimlich has “bullied, pressured and intimidated” city employees in his efforts to get information on public spending for black organizations.

        Mr. Heimlich called the accusations “nonsense.”

        “This is an attempt to intimidate me into not asking questions, and it is not going to work,” Mr. Heimlich said. “I have, and I will continue to, question wasteful spending by anybody, regardless of race.”

        Mr. Heimlich said he has also opposed many public spending proposals for organizations and causes that are not run by blacks, including city funding for the effort to bring the Olympics to Cincinnati, street festivals in primarily white neighborhoods such as Price Hill and Mount Washington, expansion of the convention center and the Flying Pig Marathon.

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