Former Ohio State President Ted Carter allegedly arranged secret meetings with Crisante Vlakos, a podcaster, and misused university resources to benefit her business, according to a troubling new report.
A detailed inquiry into Carter’s unexpected resignation from his $1.5 million-a-year position last month reveals that he met with Vlakos and traveled with her on at least five occasions to various cities, including Richmond, Virginia, and Orlando, Florida.
Among the findings, the 66-year-old married man is suspected of fabricating a business reason for one of these trips. Evidence shows they attended a conference together in Colorado Springs earlier this year, where Carter was photographed alongside Vlakos.
Admitting to granting Vlakos “inappropriate access” to university leadership, Carter stepped down voluntarily. The investigation found that he had hired 14 staff members to support Vlakos, who focuses on veteran issues in her podcast. This support included attempts to secure a university job for her, as well as funding from various sources.
“Mr. Carter’s actions undermined the values of Ohio State University and breached its policies,” the 47-page report stated, emphasizing that his misconduct spanned almost two years. It also pointed out that his close relationship with Vlakos influenced his judgment inappropriately.
In what seems to be a questionable financial move, JobsOhio invested $60,000 to produce a series of podcast episodes. Only one of those was completed before the scandal surfaced, leading the agency to try to recoup its losses after all associated content was removed from streaming platforms.
Carter, who has a lengthy military career, expressed on Vlakos’s podcast that he had appeared as a guest multiple times. Additionally, JobsOhio sponsored a veterans’ event at the university, which was a project Vlakos had proposed.
Following Carter and Vlakos’s alleged relationship, her agency benefits were cut off after she sought a $2.9 million investment for a mobile app designed to help veterans find employment. An Ohio State spokesperson mentioned ongoing scrutiny concerning an LLC linked to Vlakos that was registered in a university property related to Carter’s departure.
As of now, both Carter and Vlakos have remained silent regarding the allegations of their connection.
