Family Member Backs Acton’s Childhood Abuse Account
A stepsister of Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton says she believes Acton’s account of being sexually abused by her stepfather and spending part of her childhood homeless. The 62-year-old woman, who asked not to be identified, spoke from Youngstown on October 28 and said her late sister, Christine, had also been raped by their father, Cledith “Bud” Arthur, before he married Acton’s mother, Donna.
The woman said Arthur raped Christine more than once and that the family was deeply affected. She also said she knew Arthur had lived in a tent with his second family, supporting Acton’s account of homelessness. Arthur was charged in connection with allegations involving Christine and was later indicted in 1978 for allegedly raping Acton, then 12. He fled Ohio, did not stand trial and died in 2004.
The new account comes amid controversy over an ad produced by Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign. In the video, Donna Arthur calls her daughter a liar and contests her claims of abuse and homelessness. Ramaswamy has defended the ad and committed $4 million to promoting it; President Donald Trump also defended his decision to run it. The ad has drawn criticism, including from Republicans.
The stepsister said the campaign has brought painful family memories back and called the ad awful. Ramaswamy has described Acton as unstable and dishonest at a campaign stop. The Ohio governor’s election is scheduled for November 3.
Ramaswamy’s Attack on Acton Collides With Family Testimony
A new family account has weakened the attack Vivek Ramaswamy chose to make central to his campaign against Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton. On October 28, Acton’s stepsister said she believed Acton’s claims that she was sexually abused by her stepfather and experienced homelessness as a child.
The woman said her late sister, Christine, was also raped more than once by their father, Cledith “Bud” Arthur, before he married Acton’s mother. She recalled Arthur living in a tent with his second family, backing Acton’s account of homelessness. Arthur was indicted in 1978 for allegedly raping Acton, then 12, but fled Ohio and never stood trial. He died in 2004.
Ramaswamy’s campaign produced an ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna, who calls her daughter a liar and rejects her account. Ramaswamy committed $4 million to promoting the spot, despite criticism that includes voices from his own party. The new witness said the ad was awful and that seeing the campaign revisit the family’s painful history had brought back terrible memories.
The stakes are not simply partisan: using a mother’s public denial to cast doubt on a candidate’s account of childhood abuse has now been met by another close family member’s support. Ramaswamy has also called Acton unstable and dishonest. Ohio voters are scheduled to choose a governor on November 3.
Acton’s Abuse Claims Remain at Center of Ohio Campaign Fight
A newly surfaced family account has added another voice to the dispute over Amy Acton’s childhood, a deeply personal issue now dominating the Ohio governor’s race. On October 28, Acton’s stepsister said she believed Acton’s claims of sexual abuse by her stepfather and childhood homelessness, and said their father had raped her late sister, Christine, more than once.
The woman also recalled that Cledith “Bud” Arthur lived in a tent with his second family. Arthur was indicted in 1978 for allegedly raping Acton when she was 12, but fled Ohio and never went to trial. He died in 2004. The new account supports Acton’s description of her past, while Donna Arthur, her estranged mother, appears in a campaign ad contesting the abuse and homelessness claims and calling her daughter a liar.
Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign made the ad and committed $4 million to its promotion. The controversy has drawn criticism, including from members of Ramaswamy’s party, while President Donald Trump defended the decision to keep running it. Ramaswamy has said Acton is unstable and dishonest.
The stepsister described the family’s history as painful to revisit and said the ad was awful. The claims and denials are now part of the final stretch before Ohio’s November 3 gubernatorial election. Voters are being asked to weigh a candidate’s account of her past amid sharply conflicting family testimony and political attacks.
Reported by Daily Mail US, The New Republic, The 19th.
