Ramaswamy Reportedly Commits $4M to Acton Attack Ad

A political advertisement featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother accusing the Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate of lying about her childhood has drawn criticism, while Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign has not said whether it was responsible for the spot. A report published Wednesday said Ramaswamy committed $4 million to expand the ad’s reach, citing Axios; the supplied account does not establish how much additional exposure resulted. In the ad, Donna Arthur identifies herself as Acton’s mother and disputes Acton’s account that the family lived in a tent during her childhood. Arthur calls her daughter a liar and urges voters not to elect her. Acton has said her family lived in a tent at a campground during winter, at a time when she has described a troubled childhood and abuse by her mother’s husband. The accounts conflict, and the ad does not resolve the dispute. The ad circulated about two weeks before Election Day, but its producer and payer were not identified in the reports. Ramaswamy’s campaign declined to say whether it was behind the unaired ad, according to one account. In a statement reported by that account, the campaign said Arthur was clearly warning Ohioans not...