Acton's Mother, Featured in GOP Ad, Has Past Animal Abuse Conviction
Donna Arthur, who appeared in a campaign ad against her daughter, Democrat Amy Acton, had been convicted for leaving kittens in a hot car.
The mother of Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, who appeared in a Republican-backed campaign ad criticizing her daughter, has a criminal history that includes an animal abuse conviction.
Donna Arthur, 81, was arrested in 2021 after four newborn kittens were found in her car without air conditioning, with internal temperatures reaching up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. A humane society police officer discovered the kittens in the "filthy" car. One kitten died from heat exhaustion, and another had already died while in Arthur's care, according to testimony from an animal shelter worker.
Arthur's defense argued she was being stalked and that the car was not dangerously warm. She received a fine and probation, with a ban on owning pets, while living in her car. The conviction was later vacated on appeal due to a procedural error, though the underlying conviction was not overturned.
Arthur also has prior convictions for felony theft by deception from 1995 and 1996, alongside her husband.
The ad featuring Arthur, which supports Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, has drawn bipartisan criticism for exploiting Acton's past. Acton has publicly stated she was sexually abused by her stepfather at age 12 and has been estranged from her mother since then. Court records indicate Acton's stepfather was indicted in 1978 for raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter, but he pleaded not guilty and later became a fugitive.
In the campaign ad, Arthur called her daughter a "liar" and disputed Acton's account of her childhood, including claims of growing up in a tent. Acton denounced the ad, stating she had not seen her mother since childhood and that "the words our leaders use matter."
Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, has also condemned Ramaswamy's use of their family history in the campaign, calling it "contempt" for both Acton and Ohio.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, called the ad "deeply, deeply troubling." Former President Donald Trump, however, defended the ad, suggesting DeWine might prefer a Democrat to win.
Ohio has leaned Republican since 2016, but polls indicate a closer race this cycle. The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Acton leading Ramaswamy by 3.6 percent.