Ramaswamy Campaign Confirms Ad Featuring Amy Acton's Estranged Mother in Ohio Governor Race

What happened

In Ohio's race for governor, the campaign of Democrat Amy Acton criticized Republican Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday over an ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur. ABC News reported that Acton has accused her mother of abusing her and of standing by the man who sexually abused her as a child. ABC News described the contest as a toss-up.

The video began circulating on social media late Monday. In it, Arthur says she loves her daughter but that "Amy has a serious problem" and that she lies about her past. ABC News said it could not verify the video's content or authenticity. The outlet reported that many users had shared it, including Donald Trump Jr.

What the Ramaswamy campaign said

Ramaswamy confirms the ad

Ramaswamy told reporters Tuesday, "It is an ad from our campaign." He said he viewed it as legitimate and that Arthur was not paid. He added that he wants the race to center on issues affecting Ohioans and said Acton will not debate him.

Spokesperson's statement

Earlier Tuesday, Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck was asked whether the campaign knew about or approved the ad. She issued a lengthy statement that neither denied making it nor denounced it, according to ABC News. Luck said the campaign did not know what happened between Acton and her mother but called Acton "a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth." The statement also questioned Acton's actions during the pandemic, when she led the Ohio Department of Health, and called on her to debate.

How Acton and her family responded

Acton's response

In an interview with Spectrum News on Tuesday, Acton said, "I won't normalize somebody who has said that my childhood is something I'm just complaining about." She said she and her brother were removed from their birth mother at age 12 because of severe abuse, neglect and sexual abuse. ABC News also noted that Ramaswamy has drawn criticism for saying Acton "only ever talks about something that happened to her" instead of offering a positive message.

Her brother's statements

Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, called the ad a "disgusting attack" in a statement. He said their birth mother stayed married to the man until his death, even after his arrest and after the children were removed from the home. Later Tuesday, the Acton campaign released its own video ad in which Stearns says, "Shame on Vivek" and "He's not fit to lead."

The history behind the ad

Acton has spoken publicly about the abuse, about going to therapy and about her difficult relationship with her mother. In a 2019 interview with the Youngstown Vindicator, given when she was first named state health director, she said her mother's second husband molested her between the ages of 9 and 12. ABC News reported that charges were filed against her stepfather and that Acton testified against him.

According to ABC News, an August 1978 Youngstown Vindicator article backs up Acton's account. The article reported that her stepfather was bound over to a Mahoning County grand jury in a case involving the rape of a 12-year-old girl. Acton was born in 1966. The stepfather died in 2004, and Acton's mother remained married to him after the allegations. Acton's father received custody, and she later became a doctor.

This is not the first time Arthur has publicly accused her daughter of lying. ABC News reported that in a 2020 interview with an anti-abortion access group, Arthur said Acton's father had convinced their daughter to lie. More national campaign coverage is in our elections section.

What to watch next

• Whether Acton and Ramaswamy agree to debate. Ramaswamy's campaign says Acton has refused.
• How voters respond in the Ohio governor's race, which ABC News describes as a toss-up.
• Whether the Ramaswamy campaign keeps running the ad after the Acton campaign's response video featuring Stearns.