By Jim Siegel
Gannett Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS - Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is expanding his investigation into alleged fund-raising and campaign misdeeds by members of his Republican Party.

Blackwell issued four new subpoenas Tuesday as he looks into how money from possible secret accounts was spent by the Montgomery County Republican Party, and whether two House GOP consultants were given improper severance pay upon their firing last month by the caucus.

Media reports revealed last week that Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Dayton, may have used money from the county party's secret operating account to help further his goal of becoming Senate president in 2005. Jacobson has since withdrawn from the Senate presidency field.

Brett Buerck is a former consultant for GOP lawmakers' campaigns, and Kyle Sisk is a fund-raiser for the campaigns. The U.S. Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service also are investigating the pair's activities.

Blackwell wants records from all Montgomery County operating accounts, which under state law can collect and spend money without disclosing the transactions. Ohio is one of only four states that allow parties to collect anonymous donations.

"We want to know who contributed and what those contributions bought," Blackwell said.

"What we want is full accountability and full disclosure of information that will help rebuild public confidence in the credibility of the political process."

One question is whether operating account money could be used to help Jacobson ascend to Senate president. That account, Blackwell said, "normally is to pay rent, to party build in terms of slate cards and a whole host of things. But it can't be to advance the individual candidacies of anyone."

Blackwell said he talked with state Rep. John White, chairman of the Montgomery County GOP, and said he thinks White will turn over all related paperwork.

White did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday evening.

Jacobson would not say whether he thought White had an obligation to comply with the subpoena.

"The secretary of state is just doing his job, and I'm confident he will find no violation," he said.

"I do not believe the way (the account) was used was any violation of the law."

Subpoenas also were issued to Speaker Larry Householder and the treasurer of the House Republican Campaign Committee. Blackwell wants to clear up whether it was proper for Householder to offer severance pay to Buerck and Sisk after the caucus fired them last month.

At least seven members of the GOP caucus have called asking questions about the severance pay, Blackwell said.

"The caucus is obligated, no question about it, to surface a record of these expenditures on demand from this office," he said.

Blackwell has issued nine subpoenas in the past month as part of a variety of investigations, some of which are running parallel to federal inquiries.