Former JobsOhio chief donates $10K to House leader

COLUMBUS (AP) — The California venture capitalist Republican Gov. John Kasich hired for a dollar to help jump-start Ohio’s economy made a hefty donation to Ohio’s House speaker on his way out the door.

State campaign finance records show Mark Kvamme, a former Kasich economic development director and adviser, contributed $10,000 to Republican Bill Batchelder’s campaign Nov. 1. That’s a day after he left JobsOhio, Ohio’s semi-private nonprofit job-creation entity.

Kvamme is currently working at Drive Capital LLC, a Columbus-based venture firm. He said he was unable to comment immediately when reached today.

Under Batchelder, House Republicans fast-tracked a measure last week shielding JobsOhio’s private dollars from public audit, including proceeds of a $1.5 billion JobsOhio liquor bond deal Kvamme helped craft.

Batchelder’s spokesman said the contribution played no role.