# Who's behind the video of an Ohio candidate's mother calling her a liar? > Ohio governor candidate's estranged mother accuses her of lying about childhood abuse in viral video. - Title: Who's behind the video of an Ohio candidate's mother calling… - Summary: Ohio governor candidate's estranged mother accuses her of lying about childhood abuse in viral video. Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton's… - Keywords: amy acton, midterms, vivek ramaswamy, ohio, election, political ad, childhood abuse, mother, news, politics, world, Who's - Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/whos-behind-the-video-of-an-ohio-candidates-mother-calling-her-a-liar - Published: 2026-10-20T18:34:02+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: amy acton, midterms, vivek ramaswamy, ohio, election, political ad, childhood abuse, mother, news, politics, world ## Video of accusation An elderly woman sits in front of a camera as soft piano and strings play in the background. > Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. ## Who is the mother? Donna Arthur, the mother of Amy Acton, said she decided to speak out when she saw her daughter lying about her opponent. > She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She’s lied her entire life. My daughter needs help. ## Childhood claims Acton described living in a tent and experiencing abuse during childhood in a 2019 interview with the Youngstown Vindicator. > I was lucky that it got bad enough, because it got me out of there. ## Mother's past dispute Arthur previously disputed Acton’s childhood account in a 2020 interview with Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group. > None of that is true. ## Legal history In 1978, Arthur’s husband was charged with rape and indicted by a grand jury after Acton’s father reported the abuse to police. > Arthur’s husband was charged with rape and indicted by a grand jury. ## Campaign response Acton’s campaign confirmed the woman is her mother and that the two have been estranged for decades. > The two have been estranged for decades. ## Who produced the video? Ohio political writer D.J. Byrnes, previously convicted of sending a politician an explicit photo of Shrek, was the first to post the video. > He said it came from the campaign of vivek ramaswamy, acton’s republican opponent. ## Ramaswamy campaign response Ramaswamy’s campaign released a statement saying they didn’t know what happened between Arthur and Acton but called Acton a serial fabulist. > Amy Acton is a serial fabulist. ## Election timing The video surfaced two weeks before Election Day in a race where polls disagree. > Two weeks until election. ## Polling conflict A Marist poll showed Acton leading Ramaswamy 50% to 43% among likely voters, while an ActiVote poll gave Ramaswamy a 2.8-point edge. > Acton leading ramaswamy 50% to 43%. ## Family reaction Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, condemned the video in a statement released by Acton. > After he was arrested and amy and i were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to amy’s rapist until he died. ## Who is behind the video? Ohio law generally requires campaigns to identify themselves on political communications with a 'paid for by' disclaimer. > The video doesn’t include one, and no campaign or group has claimed it. ## Video impact The video drew criticism from political commentators across the political spectrum, with some calling it exploitative of Acton’s childhood sexual abuse history. > The video drew criticism from political commentators across the political spectrum. ## Unresolved questions The video’s origin and whether Arthur’s claims hold up against the record remain unclear. > It’s unclear who produced or paid for it, and whether arthur’s claims hold up against the record. ## Election outcome The race remains close with conflicting polls showing Acton leading by 7 points or Ramaswamy leading by 2.8 points. > The race remains close with conflicting polls. ## Key takeaway Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton's estranged mother claims she lied about childhood homelessness and abuse in a video released two weeks before election.