By Jim Siegel
Enquirer Columbus bureau

COLUMBUS - Top-level staffers in the Ohio House met this week with legal counsel - not to work on new campaign-finance reforms, but to figure out what the current law says.

"There's debate about what you can and can't do under the current law by people who genuinely know these things," said Rep. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, the man expected to lead the House in 2005.

"Campaign finance law should be simple. The more complex you write it, the more chance there is for abuse."

Following a year of investigations and convictions based on campaign-related activities of Republican lawmakers, statewide officeholders and their top aides, House and Senate leaders say they are committed to passing reforms later this year.

But Husted also stresses reforms should not be rushed. "You don't want to create the next generation of loopholes to be exploited," he said.

In addition to simplifying the law, reforms under discussion include:

• Opening county party operating funds to full disclosure. These secret funds can raise and spend unlimited money, supposedly on party operations such as rent, utilities and low-level staffers.

Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is investigating whether the Montgomery County GOP improperly used its operating fund to help get Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Dayton, elected Senate president, a pursuit he has since abandoned.

Eric Sagun, a former fund-raiser for Ohio Treasurer Joe Deters, pleaded guilty recently to a misdemeanor election law violation after he funneled a $50,000 donation from a now-jailed Cleveland broker to the Hamilton County GOP's operating fund.

• Disclosing contributions to issue advocacy groups. These organizations, with no official ties to any political campaign, can raise anonymous money to spend on attack ads.

• Reforming or shutting down county party state candidate funds.

Concern has grown that these funds allow statewide candidates to skirt campaign contribution limits by laundering money through county political parties.

• General reforms, such as increasing penalties for violating campaign finance laws, requiring donors to list their employers, and banning contributions from children under age 10.

House Minority Leader Chris Redfern, D-Port Clinton, said, considering the recent scandals, lawmakers should "strike while the iron is hot."

"The folks back home know it's a pay-to-play system in Columbus," he said.

"We need to go about!the business of restoring the public's confidence in the legislature."

Lawmakers won't address the issue until they return to session after the November election.

E-mail jsiegel@enquirer.com