A controversial ad featuring the mother of Democratic candidate for governor Amy Acton is making its rounds on social media. It claims Acton is lying when she talks about her childhood, when she was sexually abused and homeless, sometimes living in a tent.
It's unclear who paid for the ad, since there's no credit at the end of it. Acton and her brother are hitting back at it, and the campaign of Acton's Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy is responding with criticism of Acton.
In the ad, Acton's estranged mother Donna Arthur said none of Acton's claims that she grew up in an abusive environment and that her family was sometimes homeless are true.
“She is a liar. She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true," Arthur said in the video.
The ad was initially shared by the Substack run by political blogger the Rooster. Within hours it was circulated by Acton opponents and Ramaswamy supporters on social media, including President Trump's oldest son.
But Acton's brother said in a statement put out by her campaign that his sister is telling the truth.
“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,” said Philip Stearns in the statement. “After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died. This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants.”
"We had all sorts of neglect, abuse and hunger," Stearns said in an Oct. 8 Instagram video reposted on Acton's website after the video was leaked.
"We spent almost all of every day in an unfinished basement with a couple of 60 watt bare lightbulbs down there."
Acton mentioned her family had lived in a tent in one of her ads. Stearns said of that experience: "For one thing - it was cold."
What the record shows
Acton spoke about her childhood trauma in 2019 with the Youngstown Vindicator, her hometown newspaper. In that article, Acton talked about living in "18 or so" homes, including one unfinished basement and a tent outside of Youngstown before turning 12 in 1978. She said Arthur had many boyfriends during that time. Acton referred to living in that tent in her first ad for governor in July.
Arrest records show Austintown Police arrested Arthur's husband Cledith on July 14, 1978 for the rape of a 12-year-old girl. Four days later, he pleaded not guilty. In September 1978, he was indicted for the crime. But a month later, on Oct. 26, he was declared a fugitive after not showing up for a court appearance. The Mahoning County Court issued a warrant for his arrest. Documents were issued in subsequent years in an attempt to find Arthur and bring him to justice before he died in 2004 in southern Pennsylvania.
Records show Donna Stearns married Cledith Arthur in 1975, after he was indicted for incest. She remained married to him at the time of his death.
Acton's opponent reacts
Again, it's unclear who is behind the ad. But Acton supporters have said Ramaswamy has referenced Acton's background before. They note in a video he posted in April, he mentions that he has “a positive vision for our state versus a governor who has none at all other than to complain about what someone else did to her.”
The video of Arthur was not posted on Ramaswamy's website. It was circulated on social media accounts of some conservatives who are supporting him, including commentator Dinesh D'Souza, right-wing influencer Laura Loomer and former Ohio secretary of state Ken Blackwell. It is unknown who paid for the ad, who produced it, and whether Donna Arthur was compensated for her participation in it.
Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck said in a written statement that Acton is "a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth", and once again called on Acton to debate him.
