An attack advertisement targeting Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton has faced a significant backlash after a long-lost stepsister emerged to corroborate Acton's claims of childhood abuse. The ad, funded by Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, featured Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, disputing her daughter's accounts of a childhood marked by poverty, homelessness, and sexual abuse.
However, the stepsister, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail that she believes Acton's account is true. She stated that their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, who married Acton's mother in 1975, had raped her own late sister, Christine, when Christine was around the same age as Amy. The stepsister confirmed that Acton's descriptions of living in a tent and experiencing homelessness were also accurate, recounting that Cledith Arthur lived in a tent with his second family in Youngstown, Ohio.
Cledith Arthur was charged with incest in 1974 over allegations involving Christine and indicted for raping Acton, then 12, in 1978. He fled Ohio before standing trial and died in 2004. His second wife, Donna Arthur, remained married to him until his death.
Christine Arthur died in December 2024. Her sister described the current political controversy as a "nightmare" that has brought back painful family memories. "Christine was a wonderful person but she was very damaged by it," the stepsister said. "Our whole family was."
The advertisement, which debuted around October 20, features Donna Arthur stating, "Amy has a serious problem. She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true. She's lied her entire life."
Ramaswamy acknowledged his campaign produced the ad and committed $4 million to promote it, facing bipartisan criticism. However, President Donald Trump defended Ramaswamy's decision to continue running the commercial. Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, also condemned the ad, stating that Amy endured more abuse than he did.
Acton has frequently spoken about her difficult childhood, detailing periods when her family lived in a tent and experienced unstable housing. Ramaswamy's campaign modified the ad on Monday, shortening it to 30 seconds and removing specific claims that Acton lied about her past, including the tent story.
The Daily Mail also reported on Donna Arthur's personal struggles, detailing her past two and a half years living in her car in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, with multiple cats. Church staff described efforts to help her, but she was eventually evicted by police due to issues with numerous animals.
Acton, when asked about Trump and Vice President JD Vance defending the advertisement, urged them to "look at the facts."