Ohio Election Bombshell - Vivek Ramaswamy Learns His Fate

Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has confirmed that his campaign produced an advertisement in which the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, calls her a liar and urges Ohio voters to reject her gubernatorial bid.

The ad questions Acton’s account of childhood poverty and homelessness, including her description of living in a tent. But court records reviewed by Ohio Capital Journal document a serious abuse case involving Acton’s stepfather—and report that police found him living in a tent when she was a child.

Ramaswamy acknowledged the ad Tuesday night.

“It is an ad from our campaign,” he said, according to the New York Post.

He said Arthur was not paid to take part and that he had never met her. Ramaswamy defended the ad by arguing that Acton has avoided debates and made false claims about him and his family.

Acton’s brother, Phil Stearns, responded in a separate campaign ad, describing the abuse they experienced as children and saying his sister protected him.

“I received a lot of abuse, but Amy always got the worst of it,” Stearns said.

Court records show that Cledith Arthur, Acton’s stepfather, was charged with sexually abusing her when she was 12. He pleaded not guilty, posted bond and later fled; the case did not result in a conviction. He remained a fugitive until his death in 2004, according to the records. Police also found him living in a tent when Acton was a child.

Acton has said she has had no contact with her mother since the court proceedings. Stearns said their mother remained married to the stepfather after his arrest and the children were removed from her custody. The siblings’ account and the court records complicate the ad’s attack on Acton’s description of her childhood.

The controversy has drawn criticism from Republicans as well as Democrats. Ohio Development Director Lydia Mihalik, a member of Gov. Mike DeWine’s cabinet, said that a disagreement with Acton’s politics did not justify exploiting her childhood trauma.

Ramaswamy has argued that Acton’s honesty and personal history are relevant to the race. Voters can scrutinize a candidate’s claims, but the record also matters when campaigns put family allegations before the public. Here, the available court documents support key parts of Acton’s account while stopping short of a conviction.