Ohio's Vivek Ramaswamy slammed for 'revolting' campaign ad featuring opponent's estranged mother
Candidate Amy Acton, brother were removed from mother's custody after alleging abuse by stepfather
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's team has confirmed that it produced a controversial advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent in Ohio's gubernatorial race — and that the campaign will spend $4 million US to promote it despite facing bipartisan rebuke for dredging up Amy Acton's painful childhood.
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campaign → slam → childhood
The ad introduces a deeply personal element into one of the country's most closely watched and expensive campaigns for state office.
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ad → introduce → office
Questions about the video will likely shadow Ramaswamy in the final two weeks of the contest, with Democrats branding it as a desperate move.
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Democrats → shadow → move
More than 676,000 people have already cast ballots in Ohio ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.
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people → cast → midterms
The advertisement features Acton's birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling her "a liar" and insinuating she has mental health issues.
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she → feature → issues
The ad was first surfaced by the political blog The Rooster.
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ad → surface → blog
Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather was indicted for raping Acton.
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stepfather → lose → Acton
The Democratic candidate has not seen her mother, whose last known address was in Pennsylvania, since they were both in a courtroom in 1978.
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they → see → 1978
Connie Luck, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy's campaign, said Acton's mother was not paid for the one-minute video, which she said will stream online and air on television.
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she → say → television
Democratic candidate Amy Acton speaks during a campaign event at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, on Sept. 17, (Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press)
Ramaswamy's campaign initially issued a statement that did not address whether he was responsible for the ad or knew who produced it.
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who → speak → it
In the earlier statement, Luck said Acton was a "serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of."
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public → say → that
The video's origins were initially murky when it started circulating online.
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it → start → ?
It did not include the "paid for" tag that is legally required to air on television so viewers can know who produced and paid for it.
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who → include → it
Acton, Ohio's former public health director, has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child.
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Acton → make → child
She spent Tuesday condemning Ramaswamy for the ad even before his campaign confirmed its origins.
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campaign → spend → origins
Acton's campaign also released a statement and video from her brother, Philip Stearns, who said the two were removed from their mother's custody.
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two → release → custody
He recalled his older sister taking "the worst" of the abuse they faced as children in order to protect him
"Shame on Vivek.
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they → recall → Vivek
The contempt he has for Amy is the contempt he has for Ohio.
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he → have → Ohio
He's not fit to lead," said Stearns.
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Stearns → lead → ?
The Columbus Dispatch, in an editorial Wednesday morning endorsing Acton for governor for several reasons, called the ad "revolting and unsettling."
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Dispatch → endorse → ad
The newspaper condemned the smear from Republicans while the party continues to support Rep. Max Miller, who is campaigning for re-election after being accused of child and spousal abuse by his ex-wife.
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who → condemn → wife
According to police and court documents obtained by The Associated Press, Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with the rape of his stepdaughter, then 12, in July 1978, after Acton's biological father reported him to authorities.
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father → accord → authorities
The abuse allegedly happened between 1976 and 1978.
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abuse → happen → 1976
Cledith Arthur pleaded not guilty but was out and bail and fled the state.
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Arthur → plead → state
He died in 2004, never having faced trial in the case.
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He → die → case
High-profile Republicans who back Ramaswamy — including Donald Trump Jr. and influencer Laura Loomer — elevated his video in online posts.
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Republicans → back → posts
- Video
Inflation top of mind for voters ahead of U.S. midterms
The Democrats are surging as the U.S. midterms near.
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midterms → surge → midterms
Here's the data that has Trump's Republicans spooked
But
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Republicans → have → ?
others joined Democrats in condemning the ad.
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others → join → ad
Pundit Meghan McCain called it "dastardly" and Dan Hauser, a strategist for Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, said he deleted his post sharing the video once he realized "the very serious accusations that caused their issues."
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that → call → issues
Casey Putsch, a car designer and YouTube provocateur who competed in the Republican primary earlier this year against Ramaswamy, said on social media that he would be voting for Acton in the wake of the ad's release.
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he → compete → release
Putsch — who earlier this year sported a rifle in a campaign ad in which he invited Ramaswamy to play a game of "cowboys and Indians" — called the Arthur video "pretty damn low."
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he → sport → video
Ramaswamy, 41, is a biotech billionaire born to parents from India.
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Ramaswamy → bear → India
He has never before held public office, but ran for president in 2024, dropping out to give Donald Trump his endorsement after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses.
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He → hold → caucuses
Trump tapped Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to lead an effort to root out federal government inefficiencies, but the Cincinnati native stepped down before that DOGE project began in earnest, to concentrate on running for governor.
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project → tap → governor
The Aporia
