Vance defends Ramaswamy amid backlash over ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother
publishers 28articles 33first reported 21 Oct, 16:54 UTCdeveloping since 21 Oct · 9 editions
Vice President JD Vance defended Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy amid bipartisan criticism of a campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton.
The ad shows Donna Arthur calling Acton “a liar” and casting doubt on her account of a childhood marked by homelessness and abuse. It does not mention that Arthur’s husband was charged in 1978 with raping Acton when she was a child. Acton and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody, and the stepfather was never prosecuted after the couple left Ohio, according to the BBC.
Ramaswamy acknowledged that his campaign produced the ad and pledged to spend $4 million airing it statewide. The Ohio secretary of state is reviewing complaints concerning the advertisement, WSYX reported.
Campaigning with Ramaswamy in Ohio, Vance said it was “not really my concern” whether the ad was appropriate. He said he was “a little bit disgusted” by Republicans who were “whining” more about the commercial than about Democrats, and later praised Ramaswamy for having the “audacity” to air an ad calling Acton a liar.
Republicans including Sen. Jon Husted and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley criticized the spot. Acton’s campaign responded with a video featuring her brother, Philip Stearns, who supported her account of their childhood and accused Ramaswamy of turning alleged sexual abuse into a political attack. President Donald Trump said he knew little about the ad and described the family situation as unusual.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 44 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 28
- Source articles
- 33
- Given to the writer
- 8, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 44 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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