Lone podcast episode gets astronomical amount of money

Topline: Economic development corporation JobsOhio controls the sale of liquor in Ohio and uses most of the profits — $359 million last year — for job creation programs. But as a private corporation that is not subject to open records or open meetings laws, much of its operations are shrouded in secrecy.

The corporation is now under fire for sponsoring a $60,000 podcast that produced just one episode.

Key facts: Former Gov. John Kasich created the corporation in 2011 and put many of his campaign donors on its board. Ohio Attorney General David Yost tried to audit JobsOhio in 2013, but Kasich blocked him, arguing the corporation needed to move “at the speed of business” instead of being bogged down by bureaucracy.

At Kasich’s request, the legislature passed a bill that explicitly excludes JobsOhio from state audits.

JobsOhio has had many critics since then. In 2022, the Ohio Capital Journal published a story arguing it was difficult, and sometimes impossible, to verify JobsOhio’s claims about boosting the state’s economy.

The corporation is currently embroiled in a scandal surrounding former Ohio State University President Ted Carter, who resigned in March. The university’s board said in a statement he had an “inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources to support her personal business.”

Dozens of news outlets have reported that the relationship was with Krisanthe Vlachos, host of “The Callout” podcast.

JobsOhio paid Vlachos $60,000 last year to record four podcast episodes promoting job opportunities for veterans. Only one episode was released. It got just 884 views, which was not surprising since “The Callout” has only 146 subscribers on YouTube, according to The Lantern.

JobsOhio said in a statement on X that Carter recommended they sign the contract, and that the missing episodes were never recorded because of “scheduling difficulties.” The corporation is now trying to claw back the money.

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Background: State Reps. Tristan Rader and Justin Pizzulli introduced the JobsOhio Transparency Act bill in March. It would allow the state to audit JobsOhio and require its chief investment officer to testify before legislators annually. The corporation would also have to release details of its payroll, which has ballooned from $2.5 million in 2012 to $30.3 million in 2025.

Critical quote: “Even after a years-long relationship full of promises, communities like mine have yet to see the job creation or investment they deserve,” Rader said in a press release. “There must be public accountability and real transparency to deliver results for our constituents … The state’s multi-billion-dollar liquor franchise should be creating good-paying jobs for everyday Ohioans, not catering to the whims of the wealthy and well-connected.”

Summary: Any entity using public money should be subject to full transparency laws so the public can evaluate whether the spending is above board.

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