New ad in Ohio governor race features Acton’s mother calling candidate a liar
Acton campaign calls mother estranged and abusive
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A scathing new ad in the race for Ohio governor recently appeared on social media.
In the video, Dr. Amy Acton’s mother calls her daughter a liar and urges Ohioans not to vote for her.
The video prompted a rebuke from the Acton campaign, which described Amy’s mother as estranged and abusive.
It is not clear who backed the ad or paid for the ad.
Ramaswamy doubles down
19 News asked her opponent Vivek Ramaswamy if his campaign was responsible for the ad and if his campaign paid her mother.
Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson Connie Luck said Action has “serious problems with the truth” but did not directly answer any of our questions. The full statement is below.
“We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother, who first spoke out about Amy in 2020, but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor.
“Ohioans are struggling with 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 debates and hiding from voters by barring 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 her own multiple police reports for domestic incidents to the governor, including one instance where police had to stop her from driving a car after she had been drinking and using prescription drugs. Everyone who knows her best -- her former boss, her former state colleagues, her fellow physicians, and now her own mother -- are clearly warning Ohioans not to vote for her. Ohioans deserve to know that.
“Vivek has accepted debate invitations from CNN and WLWT because he believes Ohioans deserve to hear directly from the people asking to lead their state. He stands ready to defend his record against Amy Acton’s defamatory lies. If Amy disagrees with these criticisms, she should stand before the people of Ohio, answer the questions, and let voters decide for themselves. The fact that she won’t, and Vivek will, should tell you everything about who’s really lying.”
Acton family and campaign responds
Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, released a statement condemning the ad, which stated:
“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... 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.”
Acton’s campaign later released an email titled, “Ramaswamy campaign stands by Dr. Acton’s estranged and abusive mother.”
“The choice to use, and then stand by, Dr. Acton’s estranged and abusive mother who stayed married to her rapist stepfather until the day he died shows Ohioans exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is,” said Addie Bullock, spokesperson for the Acton campaign. “Ramaswamy has taken every opportunity possible to campaign with pedophiles, abusers and sex predators while accepting more than $100,000 from Epstein associates and mocking Dr. Acton for being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Ramaswamy will do anything, including embrace child sex predators, to get what he wants. This isn’t just disturbing; it’s disqualifying. Ohio deserves better.”
Candidates on attack ads
Prior to this ad’s release, 19 News conducted one-on-one interviews with both candidates, with each addressing negative political ads.
Ramaswamy called the TV ad tone very negative and said the attack ads against him are outright false attacks on his business record.
Though, he contended factual criticism of a record is fair. He argued that debates, not ads, should decide the race.
Acton said Ramaswamy has spent over $100 million on debunked, lying and dangerous attack ads, including one featuring a convicted pedophile.
She pledged never to lie about him or attack his family and said the ads didn’t move the needle.
19 News reached out to Gov. DeWine’s office about the Ad featuring Dr. Acton’s mother and they responded with, “Our office has not issued a statement on this issue.”
The complete interviews are available to watch below.
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