Acton campaign slams ‘desperate and disgusting’ political ad featuring Acton’s ex-mother

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — The campaign for Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton has condemned a political ad released online featuring Acton’s ex-mother calling Acton a “liar” and urging Ohioans not to support her.

“My name is Donna Arthur and I’m Amy Acton’s mother,” the minute-long video begins.

“I love my daughter, but when I see her lying about her opponent, it’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem,” Arthur continues. “She’s a liar. She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She’s been lying her whole life.”

Arthur says his daughter “needs help.”

The video ends with Arthur saying, “Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor. If you think she will make your life better, you are wrong. It will only get worse.”

The video was published Monday evening by independent investigative journalist Walter Curt on X.

It has since spread across social media and been published in conservative outlets including Blaze Media and the Daily Wire, and was shared by President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr.

ABC 6 is working to confirm who produced the commercial, when and plans to air it.

The video has no disclaimer about its source or funding, and it does not directly name Acton’s Republican challenger, Vivek Ramaswamy.

Acton’s campaign slammed the ad featuring his “abusive, estranged mother” with a written statement from his brother, Philip Stearns, Tuesday morning.

“It is no surprise that Vivek Ramaswamy would stoop to such a despicable level in 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,” said Philip Stearns, Dr. Acton’s brother. “After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our biological mother remained married to Amy’s rapist until her death. This desperate and disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as he gets what he wants.”

A spokesperson for the Ramaswamy campaign responded Tuesday afternoon with a lengthy statement:

“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 with the governorship.

“Ohioans are facing rising costs and need a governor who can help them. Vivek wants the election to focus on how to solve these problems, but unfortunately, Amy Acton has repeatedly resorted to lying about Vivek and his family, lying about her own record, and then hiding from the debates and voters by blocking the cameras at her own events.

“Amy Acton has serious questions to answer about her statements during COVID, her attacks on Vivek and her failure to disclose to the governor her own police reports about domestic incidents, including an instance where police had to stop her from driving a car after she drank and took prescription drugs. Everyone who knows her best – her former boss, her former state colleagues, her fellow doctors and now her own mother – are clearly warning Ohioans not to vote for her. Ohioans deserve to know this.

“Vivek accepted debate invitations from CNN and WLWT because he believes Ohioans deserve to hear directly from the people who are asking to run their state. He is prepared to defend his record against Amy Acton’s defamatory lies. If Amy disagrees with these criticisms, she should stand before Ohioans, answer the questions and let voters decide for themselves. The fact that she won’t, and that Vivek will, should tell you everything about who’s really lying.”

Acton has spoken publicly on several occasions about his challenges growing up.

“Public school saved my life when I was a kid,” she told ABC 6 during a campaign stop last Thursday. “I wouldn’t be here as someone who grew up in difficult circumstances, homeless, being able to become a doctor was a milestone, let alone being in the final days of running for governor of Ohio.”

Acton’s campaign website also refers to his “difficult childhood.”

“She overcame periods of abuse, hunger and neglect, and even ended up living in a tent in the dead of winter,” the site says.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Acton’s camp released a new ad called “Abuse,” in which Acton’s brother talks about the abuse the siblings allegedly suffered as children.

The latest poll shows Acton ahead in the race for Ohio governor with two weeks until Election Day.

A Marist poll released Monday gave Acton a seven-point lead over Ramaswamy, while RealClearPolitics called the race a toss-up, giving Acton an average lead of 3.7 points in several polls.