Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday defended an ad featuring the estranged mother of the Democrat running for Ohio governor, Amy Acton, saying it “calls it out like it is, and calls Amy Acton a liar.” In the ad from Vivek Ramaswamy, Dr. Acton’s Republican opponent, the mother said her daughter lied and exaggerated about her childhood struggles. The claims exploded after the Acton campaign produced records that show the mother’s husband, Dr.
Acton’s stepfather, was charged with raping the candidate when she was 12. Ramaswamy is putting $4 million behind the spot, despite widespread condemnation of it from Democrats and Republicans alike. In the ad, Donna Arthur, Dr.
Acton’s mother, accused her daughter of lying about details she has related about a troubled childhood in which she was homeless for a time. During that homeless period, Dr. Acton has said, she was sexually abused by her stepfather between the ages of 9 and 12.
She and her mother have not spoken since. Documents provided by the Acton campaign this week show that a grand jury indicted the candidate’s stepfather on charges of raping Dr. Acton when she was 12, that he pleaded not guilty and fled the state before trial.
He died in Pennsylvania in 2004. Acton’s campaign decried the ad and quickly responded with one of its own, in which her brother says that she had for years been the victim of their stepfather’s physical and sexual abuse. Vance, at a Wednesday morning campaign rally in the state, stood by Mr.
Ramaswamy even as the backlash threatened to engulf the candidate’s campaign. I do.” The vice president went on to say he “wasn’t even supposed to talk about” the ad “controversy” but “couldn’t help myself.” Angry reaction continued to build in both parties. MK Pritzker, the wife of Illinois’ Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, announced that she would put half a million dollars behind Dr.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
