It’s in the best interest of the people of Claiborne County not to pay any attention to Evan Doss Jr., a federal felon convicted of stealing from them, who nonetheless still commands at least a modicum of attention for race-baiting.

His latest claim to infamy is as the person behind the scenes as his wife and 14 others filed suit against county supervisors and assorted state agencies for obeying what they contend is a discriminatory statute. The law apportions property taxes paid by Grand Gulf Nuclear Station to all counties and cities where customers buy electricity made at the plant. Disproportionately large shares are reserved to Claiborne County and Port Gibson, because the plant is located there. The suit says the distribution is racist.

It’s an interesting legal theory, to say the least — that the plaintiffs are owed $435 million because the defendants did exactly what the Legislature and the Mississippi Supreme Court directed them to do.

The case, which doesn’t list an attorney’s name, should be dismissed immediately.

Looming large for Claiborne County since 2002 is whether a second nuclear plant will be built at Grand Gulf. No other sites are under consideration in Mississippi. Early site approval has been granted and the second phase, seeking a construction and operating license, is on hold. If, eventually, a decision is made to build, the project could result in thousands of jobs and a $5 billion investment — the largest construction ever undertaken in Mississippi.

Or, something else could happen: Planners pondering more nuclear plants haven’t put all their eggs in the Grand Gulf basket. Several locations have early site approval, including St. Francisville, La., about 80 miles down the Mississippi River from Grand Gulf. They don’t have to put up with any nonsense like the lawsuit or anything else in Doss’ arsenal of being a professional victim.

If memory serves, when Doss was elected tax assessor and collector of Claiborne County in the 1970s, he was the first black Mississippian elected to countywide office since Reconstruction. His achievement came after a century of shameful and often violent institutionalized racism. It made him a civil rights icon.

However, his subsequent conviction for stealing his neighbors’ tax payments and his time in federal prison should be more than a blemish on his record. He’s no champion of the people.