A viral attack ad featuring Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s estranged mother accusing her daughter of lying about her childhood has sparked backlash against Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy, even as the video’s origins remain unknown.
The one-minute video, which began circulating online overnight Monday, features Donna Arthur urging voters not to elect her daughter and disputing Acton’s account of experiencing homelessness as a child. It was initially shared on X by conservative political blogger Walter Curt and spread across social media without identifying who produced or paid for it.
The controversy comes two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections and raises questions about transparency in online political advertising. Acton has accused Ramaswamy of being behind the video, but there is no confirmed evidence linking his campaign to its production or financing.
“Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor,” Arthur says in the video, according to WOSU Public Media.
Acton, Ohio’s former public health director, accused Ramaswamy of exploiting her traumatic childhood. Her brother, Philip Stearns, also condemned the video, saying the siblings were removed from their mother’s custody after her husband was accused of sexually abusing Acton when she was 12.
“It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point,” Stearns said in a statement released by Acton’s campaign.
Police and court records obtained by The Associated Press show that Acton’s stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested and charged with rape in 1978. He pleaded not guilty and was subsequently indicted by a grand jury but failed to appear for a court hearing. He has since died. Stearns also corroborated Acton’s account of living in a tent as a child.
Ramaswamy’s campaign has not publicly addressed whether it was involved in producing or distributing the video, instead questioning Acton’s credibility.
“We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother, who first spoke out about Amy in 2020,” campaign spokesperson Connie Luck told the Ohio Capital Journal. “But we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor.”
Luck also criticized Acton for refusing to debate Ramaswamy, saying voters deserved an opportunity to hear the candidates address the issues directly. A representative for Ramaswamy’s campaign did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The video’s lack of sponsor identification has raised questions under Ohio’s political advertising disclosure laws. Although the state requires disclaimers on certain political communications, including television ads, it remains unclear whether the online video violates those requirements. The clip has not been confirmed to have aired on television, and its producer and funding source remain unidentified.
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