Video of Acton’s Mother Disputing Her Childhood Account Circulates

A video circulating online in Ohio features Donna Arthur, who identifies herself as the mother of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, disputing Acton’s account of her childhood and urging voters not to elect her. The video has prompted a public response from Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, while the identities of its producer and financial backer have not been established in the available reporting. In the recording, Arthur calls her daughter a liar and says Acton’s account of living in a tent as a child is untrue. She also accuses Acton of misrepresenting Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy and tells viewers that her daughter should not become governor. The video has circulated on social media in the form of a political advertisement. Acton described a childhood involving poverty, neglect, abuse and living in a tent in a 2019 interview. Her campaign biography also refers to the tent. Arthur’s denial conflicts with Acton’s account, but the claims in the video do not independently establish what happened. The supplied reporting does not resolve the dispute with contemporaneous records or other independent evidence. Stearns, in a statement shared by Acton’s campaign,...