Ramaswamy resists calls to pull ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother
publishers 78articles 109first reported 20 Oct, 12:15 UTCdeveloping since 20 Oct · 13 editions
Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is refusing to withdraw an attack ad featuring Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic nominee Amy Acton, despite criticism from members of both parties.
In the ad, Arthur calls her daughter a liar, disputes Acton’s accounts of her childhood and urges Ohioans not to elect her. Ramaswamy’s campaign confirmed it produced the ad and plans to spend $4 million promoting it. Ramaswamy said Friday that the ad concerns Acton’s honesty, not the abuse she has described experiencing as a child.
Acton has said she has not seen her mother since she was 12. Her brother, Phil Stearns, said their mother lost custody after her husband, Cledith Arthur, was charged with sexually abusing Acton. Arthur remained with him until his death. Al Jazeera reported that court and contemporaneous news records support key parts of Acton’s account, and that FactCheck.org found records contradicting Arthur’s denial that the family lived at a campground.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who still endorses Ramaswamy, called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling” and urged the campaign to remove it. President Donald Trump defended the ad and advised Ramaswamy to continue running it, while criticizing DeWine. Vice President JD Vance also defended the campaign against its critics.
At a Cleveland rally Saturday, former President Barack Obama condemned the ad and campaigned for Acton. Acton accused Ramaswamy of intentionally exploiting her childhood to help his campaign.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 102 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 78
- Source articles
- 109
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 102 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
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