The mother of Ohio’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee has slammed her as a “liar” in a new video that appears to be a vicious late-cycle attack.
In the clip, Donna Arthur accuses her daughter, Amy Acton, of falsely claiming that she grew up in an abusive environment after her parents’ divorce.
Independent Ohio commentator D.J. Byrnes first published the video, saying it came from the campaign of Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy.
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The Washington Times asked the Ramaswamy campaign to confirm the video’s origin.
“I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent, it’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem,” says Ms. Arthur. “She is a liar. She lies about her past.”
In the video, Ms. Arthur challenges Ms. Acton’s claim that “she overcame periods of abuse, hunger and neglect, and even wound up living in a tent in the middle of winter.”
Ms. Arthur says in the clip, “None of that is true. She’s lied her entire life. My daughter needs help, and she can’t help you if she needs help herself.”
She continues, “People can change, but first they have to tell the truth, and my daughter still isn’t doing that. Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor.”
Ms. Acton has said that her mother’s husband sexually abused her as a child and that she moved in with her father and lost contact with her mother.
The Acton campaign slammed the ad and released a statement from the candidate’s brother, Philip Stearns, who grew up with her and has corroborated her claims of abuse.
“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,” Mr. Stearns said in a statement.
He added, “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.”
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