While former state Rep. Dan Doyle serves 10 months in jail for lying about how he spent campaign funds, we suspect few of his legislative colleagues will be dropping by for a friendly chat. After all, his justification for his actions is little more than a slap in the faces of the other 89 state lawmakers who have managed to follow the law.

Doyle and his lawyer argued for months that while the law was broken, the lawmaker did so only to keep food on the family table and a roof over their heads. Serving the public in the Legislature simply does not pay enough to support a family, the justification went, and that forced Doyle into doing what he did.

Hardly. Other lawmakers seem to manage, though the loss of regular income when the Legislature is in session can be difficult. Still, while legislative salaries are low – lawmakers receive only $1,248 monthly in salary – they’re beefed up substantially by a $91-per-day expense payment that can be used in almost any way a lawmaker chooses. While a total of almost $4,000 a month may not be extravagant, neither should it guarantee a quick trip to the poor house.

Doyle’s real problem, though, was not his inability to live within his means but his willingness to lie about it. He was convicted of filing false campaign reports, reports that failed to show how he actually spent donations to his campaign.

The law itself isn’t exactly crystal clear, however. That may well be a problem, if not for Doyle, then for those who struggle to stay on the right side of it. In theory, it bars spending contributions on normal living expenses. The difficulty, however, is that it does allow such money to go to cover any personal expense “incurred in connection with the person’s duties as a holder of public office,” an exception big enough to drive a small truck though, as some lawmakers have done.

While Doyle’s difficulties say more about his own sense of honesty than anything else, they do point out just how fuzzy Oregon law is when it comes to spending campaign contributions. And if Doyle’s problems prompted lawmakers to tighten reporting requirements, they refused to bar themselves from spending contributions for food, travel or lodging on days they receive the $91 daily legislative cost-of-living pay.

It’s a loophole they should close when next they meet. Most contributors do not expect their money will go to Pop Tarts and other household expenses, we suspect, and lawmakers should not be allowed to use them that way.