Ramaswamy releases attack ad

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy released a campaign ad in which his Democratic competitor Amy Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, calls her daughter a liar and warns voters not to support her for Ohio governor.

What Donna Arthur says in the ad

In the video, Donna Arthur says: Don't vote for people who lie. Don't let her become your governor. If you think she'll make your life better, you're fooling yourself. It will only get worse.

“Don't vote for people who lie. Don't let her become your governor.”

The ad omits key context

The ad does not mention that Amy Acton, sixty, has been estranged from her mother since she was a child in the nineteen seventies, after Acton's stepfather was charged with sexual abuse.

Ad circulates without sponsor

The video began circulating on social media October nineteenth with no information about who produced and paid for it. It was first published by D.J. Byrnes, an Ohio political blogger known as The Rooster.

Acton responds to the ad

In an October twentieth interview with WOSU-FM, Acton said she believed the ad was funded by Ramaswamy. She said she was removed from her mother's care at age twelve and hadn't seen her since.

Ramaswamy takes responsibility

Despite backlash, Ramaswamy's campaign took responsibility for the ad on October twentieth and said it planned to spend four million dollars to promote it.

Acton's brother describes abuse

On October twentieth, Acton's campaign released an ad titled Abuse in which Acton's brother Phil Stearns said he and his sister were abused as children. Stearns said Amy received the worst of it.

“I received a lot of abuse, but Amy always got the worst of it.”

Stepfather arrested in nineteen seventy-eight

In nineteen seventy-eight, Cledith Arthur was arrested and indicted on charges of raping a twelve-year-old girl, according to The Vindicator. Acton, born in nineteen sixty-six, would have been twelve years old.

Stepfather became fugitive

Court records show Cledith Arthur pleaded not guilty and later failed to appear in court. By October nineteen seventy-eight, a warrant had been issued for his arrest and he was considered a fugitive.

Donna Arthur's legal history

Pennsylvania court records show Donna Arthur and Cledith Arthur were convicted of felony theft by deception in nineteen ninety-six. Donna Arthur was also convicted of animal neglect in Pennsylvania in twenty twenty-one.

Acton's response to the controversy

Acton said in her radio interview that it was awful to see her mother this way and incredible that her opponent took advantage of someone who is clearly not well and older.

“It's awful to see her this way, and it's even more incredible to see that my opponent has taken advantage of someone who's clearly not well, who is older.”