Ramaswamy Campaign Confirms It Produced Acton Family Video

A video in which Donna Arthur, the mother of Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, attacks her daughter’s account of her childhood was produced by Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign, the campaign confirmed Tuesday. The campaign also said it planned to spend $4 million to continue distributing the video, which has circulated online and prompted criticism from Acton and her family. In the video, Arthur calls Acton a liar, denies that the family lived in a tent during Acton’s childhood and urges voters not to elect her governor. The clip presents Arthur’s accusations but does not resolve the conflicting accounts of Acton’s early life. Acton has described experiencing poverty and homelessness as a child, including spending time living in a tent. A 2019 newspaper profile recounted her account of spending a winter in a tent near Youngstown. Arthur disputes that account. Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, has supported his sister’s recollection, but the underlying details remain contested. The video’s production responsibility was initially unclear. Ramaswamy’s campaign first issued a statement that did not answer whether it made or paid for the clip, while...