Democrat Ohio Attorney General candidate John Kulewicz has asked the Ohio Inspector General's office to investigate JobsOhio and former Ohio State University President Ted Carter.
Kulewicz said he's concerned that Carter may have abused his position by working through the private nonprofit JobsOhio to support podcaster Krisanthe Vlachos' business.
JobsOhio sponsored four of her podcasts for $60,000. Vlachos contracted with WOSU Public Media to record podcasts at its studio on North Pearl Street.
In his complaint filed Thursday, Kulewicz wrote: "Reporting has shown that Vlachos obtained a contract from WOSU (a subsidiary of Ohio State) and that JobsOhio sponsored four of her podcasts for $60,000. This is highly unusual for an upstart podcast, specifically one that was not garnering much audience or attention, which could suggest that inappropriate, wasteful, fraudulent or payments were made under the guise of a podcast sponsorship."
Kuolewicz expanded on that during an interview with WOSU on Tuesday night, saying that the concern has been there from the beginning of JobsOhio that millions and millions of dollars of operations are shrouded in secrecy.
"That creates an environment for mischief. I see something like this happening, and it just makes me wonder what else is going on there," Kulewicz said.
"I thought it was necessary to ask the Inspector General to look into this because if JobsOhio is giving out contracts like this then what else is it doing," he said.
JobsOhio was established in 2011 by former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and the state legislature as a private, nonprofit economic development corporation. The agency has received criticism for what some believe is a lack of transparency and accountability.
On Tuesday, Kasich wrote on X: "I was extremely disappointed by the sponsored podcast, which struck me as a misguided and weak attempt to deal with workforce issues, particularly those involving our veterans. What concerns me most is the possibility of mission drift."
"JobsOhio was created for one purpose and one purpose only: to create jobs for Ohio. I fully understand the importance of building a strong workforce, but this was clearly a failed attempt. I hope and pray there are no other signs of JobsOhio drifting from its original mission. It must remain singularly focused on creating jobs for Ohio and on watching every nickel of the money that flows into the organization," Kasich also wrote.
WOSU has contacted JobsOhio for comment.
Kulewicz is opposed in the May Democratic primary by Elliot Forhan, a former state representative and Cleveland attorney.
The winner will face Republican Keith Faber, Ohio's current auditor, in the November general election.
