Ohio lawmakers want answers on JobsOhio spending after $60K podcast

JobsOhio has some questions to answer after spending $60,000 on a podcast linked to former Ohio State University President Ted Carter's recent resignation, a bipartisan duo of Ohio lawmakers says.

On March 19, state Reps. Tristan W. Rader, D–Lakewood, and Justin Pizzulli, R–Scioto County, introduced the JobsOhio Transparency Act, which would require the private economic development nonprofit funded by state liquor profits to disclose more about how it does business − or risk losing its funding source.

The bill comes after JobsOhio spent $60,000 on a podcast for military veterans hosted by Krisanthe Vlachos. Carter resigned as Ohio State University's president on March 7 after disclosing "an inappropriate relationship with someone seeking state resources to support her personal business," later identified as Vlachos. JobsOhio now wants that money back.

"If this were a public agency, there would be lots of checks and balances and accountabilities, but with JobsOhio, there just isn't," Rader told the statehouse bureau. "It's really just up to them to self-regulate."

JobsOhio spokesman Matt Englehart said the private nonprofit economic development corporation doesn't comment on pending legislation. Overall, JobsOhio "has been committed to clearly and consistently reporting business metrics and financial information since its inception in 2011." He cited awards and "our swift and transparent disclosure of JobsOhio’s interactions with entities associated with former Ohio State President Ted Carter."

JobsOhio's work is purposefully secretive. Former Gov. John Kasich created the economic development organization in 2011 to work at the speed of business rather than government. JobsOhio isn't subject to open records laws that could leak Ohio's negotiating positions to competitors. In 2013, then-state auditor Dave Yost fought an ultimately losing battle to audit JobsOhio.

But Rader and Pizzulli say that the lack of transparency is a problem. Their new bill would:

• Require JobsOhio to disclose corporate and media sponsorships annually.
• Require the state auditor to perform a more vigorous audit of JobsOhio every two years and submit that audit to the governor and top legislative leaders in the Ohio House and Senate. The audit would include information about the number of employees, their average salary and the number of employees making more than four times the median Ohio income.
• Require JobsOhio's chief investment officer to testify before state lawmakers each year about how projects are distributed.
• Require all lawmakers − not only the seven-member Ohio Controlling Board panel − to approve a JobsOhio extension on liquor profits. In 2025, the Controlling Board gave JobsOhio a 15-year extension on state liquor profits despite Yost's criticism that it was a bad deal for Ohioans.
• Declare that state lawmakers intend to ensure that JobsOhio uses state liquor profits responsibly and prudently, free from waste, fraud or abuse.

If JobsOhio doesn't comply, the Ohio Controlling Board could cut the agency's funding with a vote of two-thirds of its members, Rader said. "We can have a little bit more control as the state in making sure those dollars are spent appropriately."

Rader, who voted against JobsOhio's liquor profits extension in 2025, says it's a problem that JobsOhio doesn't have to report to state lawmakers until it needs another liquor profits extension in 2053. "Until then, they virtually have a pretty solid form of revenue."

Ohio Auditor Keith Faber said he's been able to expand what the public knows about JobsOhio since taking office. "I'd certainly encourage the General Assembly to expand its oversight discretion of JobsOhio as well." 

Englehart said JobsOhio "remains committed to sharing as much information as possible with the public and policymakers, while maintaining Ohio’s competitive advantage when seeking to attract economic development investments to Ohio."

JobsOhio has also faced criticism for where it invests.

“The people of southern Ohio deserve a fair shake from JobsOhio, and even after a years-long relationship full of promises, communities like mine have yet to see the job creation or investment they deserve,” Pizzulli said in a statement. “There must be public accountability and real transparency to deliver results for our constituents.”

Earlier in the week, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said he didn't intend to hold hearings with JobsOhio leaders. Still, he said, lawmakers have some power over JobsOhio.

“It’s a private entity, but it’s created by virtue of statute," Huffman told reporters. “So, it’s not as though the General Assembly has nothing to do with it.”

State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@usatodayco.com or @jbalmert on X.