Marathon ties among potential JobsOhio conflicts

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Ethics Commission has found that a deal struck with Marathon Petroleum Corp. last year posed a potential conflict of interest for two directors of the state's privatized job-creation board, JobsOhio.

The privatized economic-development entity spearheaded by Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sik) says Marathon CEO Gary Heminger and Steven Davis, who served simultaneously on JobsOhio's and Marathon's boards when the deal was struck, successfully averted actual conflict by stepping aside from decision-making.

A liberal policy group critical of JobsOhio says a lack of transparency prevents knowing how directors behaved in recommending hefty tax incentives to Marathon, a Findlay-based energy company.

The directors were among dozens of confidential financial-disclosure filers sent ethics warning letters Wednesday. A total of four JobsOhio directors and 24 employees got letters following a routine annual review.