Amy Acton’s mother accuses her of lying in viral video; campaign blames Ramaswamy

The long-estranged mother of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton appeared in a now-viral video released on social media calling her daughter a “liar” for statements about her childhood.

The “October surprise,” released late Monday, features a roughly one-minute recording in which Donna Arthur says her daughter has a serious problem and needs help.

“I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent. It is not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. 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,” according to the video. Arthur continues, “My daughter needs help, and she can’t help you if she needs help herself. People can change, but first they have to tell the truth. And my daughter still isn’t doing that. Don’t vote for people who lie. Don’t let her become your governor.”

BOMBSHELL:

Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s own mother urges voters not to vote for her daughter.

“My name is Donna Arthur and I’m Amy Acton’s mother. I worked at Children and Family Service Association, building one of the first two sexual abuse programs in… pic.twitter.com/NP7nURpOmn

— Walter Curt (@wcdispatch) October 20, 2026

The video, which prompted shocked responses from some of the most veteran D.C. insiders, drew a response from Acton’s campaign Tuesday.

While confirming the speaker as Acton’s mother, Acton’s campaign released a statement from brother Philip Stearns, lashing out at Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy and calling him a “pathetic excuse for a man.”

“It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point,” Stearns said. “This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants.”

While the video’s producer and any formal sponsorship remain unconfirmed, coverage this week from outlets including Newsweek and The Hill says the video has resurfaced long-standing questions about Acton’s past.

According to a 2019 interview with the Youngstown Vindicator, Acton and her brother endured periods of hardship while growing up in the Mahoning County city of Youngstown, including time in a tent and abuse by a stepfather that resulted in criminal charges and removal from her mother.

“The guy had accusations of molestation events in his past,” Acton told Youngstown Vindicator. “With his abuse of Amy, there was finally enough evidence that officials were called in and criminal charges were filed,” the article states.

The interview, which goes on to say that Acton “hasn’t seen or heard from her mom since a day in court after that long-ago arrest,” quotes Acton on the charges.

“In the courthouse after they were charged, I went to give her a kiss, and she just turned her cheek away. That was the last time I ever saw her.”

Stearns’ statement Tuesday reiterates that charges were filed and the two children were removed.

“After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died,” Stearns said in the campaign’s release.

However, a 2020 Operation Rescue investigative report found that a search of Mahoning County court cases showed “there is no record of any criminal charges ever having been filed against Donna or her husband in Mahoning County.”

According to that report, Arthur described a grand jury process but maintained no charges were ultimately filed, and she was never charged herself. The stepfather has been referred to only as “Bud” in available accounts.

“We don’t know what happened between Amy and her mother, who first spoke out about Amy in 2020, but we know that Amy Acton is a serial fabulist who has some serious problems with the truth that the public needs to be aware of before deciding who to entrust as governor,” Connie Luck, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy, said in a statement, The Guardian reported.