Ramaswamy Campaign Pulls Ad After Featuring Registered Sex Offender

Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign has pulled a television advertisement after it was revealed that the husband of a woman featured in the commercial is a registered sex offender. The ad, which focused on concerns about rising property taxes, has been removed from social media.

The commercial featured Patricia "Patty" Edwards, an Ohio woman who spoke about the potential impact of high property tax bills on her family's ability to keep their home and farm. During the encounter, Ramaswamy is seen shaking hands with her husband, Vernon Edwards, and complimenting his shirt.

Court records indicate that Vernon Edwards pleaded guilty in October 2006 to two counts of gross sexual imposition involving his niece, who was under the age of 13. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and is listed on Ohio's sex offender registry. Allegations involving other relatives were not pursued due to the statute of limitations.

The footage used in the advertisement was captured during an interaction between Ramaswamy and the couple at the Lorain County Fair in September. Six weeks later, the campaign used the footage in the commercial.

When asked about Vernon Edwards' criminal history, campaign spokesman Evan Machan stated that the campaign was unaware of his record. "This ad was based on a real interaction between Vivek and an Ohio woman who was distraught at a county fair because she may have to move out of her home due to rising property taxes," Machan told The Bulwark. "We had no knowledge of the circumstances now being reported."

Machan confirmed that Edwards had been removed from the advertisement and reiterated Ramaswamy's commitment to addressing rising property taxes. Ohio Republican State Representative Ty Mathews, who had initially shared the clip, also removed his post.

Patty Edwards defended her participation in the ad, telling The Bulwark that the campaign approached her about her experiences with property taxes and that the commercial focused on her situation, not her husband's. She also disputed the allegations against her husband, claiming that prosecutors had withheld evidence she believed was exculpatory and that he had served his sentence.

The incident raises questions about the vetting process of the Ramaswamy campaign, given that information about Edwards' criminal history was available in public court documents and Ohio's sex offender registry. According to RealClearPolling's latest average, Democrat Amy Acton leads Ramaswamy by four percentage points in Ohio's gubernatorial race.