A new attack ad of unknown origins features the ex-mother of Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton calling her a “liar” and defending her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy. Acton’s campaign and his brother denounced the ad as a “despicable lowdown.”
Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, whose husband was accused of raping Acton when she was a child, said in the post: “It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy was serious trouble. She’s a liar; she lies about her past.”
Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, lashed out at Ramaswamy in response: “It is no surprise that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable level that he is attempting to turn the sexual abuse Amy suffered at the age of twelve at the hands of our biological mother’s husband into a political talking point.”
He said that after their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested and charged, he and Acton were removed from the Arthurs’ care and lived with their father.
“Our biological mother remained married to Amy’s rapist until she died,” Stearns said. “This desperate and disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is deep down – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants.”
The ad, which circulated on social media Monday evening, does not specify who paid for and authorized the ad. It was not broadcast on television or cable, but was widely shared on social media.
Connie Luck, a spokeswoman for Ramaswamy, did not respond to a question about whether her campaign funded the ad, but said in a statement Tuesday: “We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother, who first spoke out about Amy in 2020, but we do know that Amy Acton is a serial fagot who has serious issues with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust to the governorship.”
The state Republican Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Acton, who served as state public health commissioner under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the pandemic, has previously spoken about being abused by her now-deceased father-in-law. According to court records provided by the campaign, in 1978, Arthur was accused of raping Acton, when she was between 10 and 12 years old. He pleaded not guilty.
Acton also detailed the struggles she experienced throughout her early childhood with poverty and homelessness, and documents provided by her campaign show the family lived in a tent for a year.
Acton told the Youngstown Vindicator in 2019 that once she and her brother were able to go live with their father, their lives became more stable.
“At the courthouse, after they were charged, I went to give her a kiss and she just turned her cheek away,” Acton told The Vindicator seven years ago. “That was the last time I saw her.” His campaign says the court date remains the last time Acton saw his mother.
His mother and stepfather, free on bail, left Ohio without facing charges, the news site said. Arrest warrants were issued for Cledith Arthur at least twice over the next several years, according to court records. Donna and Cledith Arthur lived in Pennsylvania until Cledith’s death in 2004.
Ramaswamy’s supporters have launched other personal attacks against Acton, who was leading in the polls last month.
Other aspects of Acton’s personal life also resurfaced during the election, including an incident in which police were called to his home in 2019 during what was described as a domestic dispute.
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