Skip to content

Attack ad features Amy Acton's estranged mother

politicsOct 20, 2026251,024

A blurry video shared on X by conservative podcaster Walter Curt features Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton, accusing Acton of lying about her childhood and urging voters not to elect her. Acton confirmed Arthur is her mother, called the video "awful," said she last saw Arthur at age 12 during her parents' divorce, and blamed Vivek Ramaswamy for taking advantage of an older relative who is "clearly not well." WOSU reports the clip is styled like a political advertisement but does not carry the legally required political ad disclaimer identifying who paid for it. Court records provided by Acton's campaign show her now-deceased stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was charged with raping Acton at age 12 and had previously been charged with incest; Acton and her campaign say her mother abandoned the children after that abuse. Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson Connie Luck declined to say who produced the video and called Acton a "serial fabulist," while Acton's brother publicly condemned the ad and the decision to platform their estranged mother. The controversy forces Acton to relitigate her childhood abuse and shifts immediate attention to whether outside groups or Ramaswamy-affiliated entities produced the ad, a question the campaign statement did not answer.

3 sources