According to ABC News, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine urged Republican contender Vivek Ramaswamy to cease broadcasting an advertisement that includes Amy Acton's estranged mother. The governor made this demand during a news conference on Thursday to address the rising controversy in the final days of the race, according to NBC News.
As a survivor of sexual abuse, it was devastating to visit the Epstein Memorial Reading Room and see the scale of Epstein and his associates’ crimes and how long it was allowed to continue.
But these survivors still have not gotten the justice they deserve. I have called for the full release of the complete Epstein files, while Vivek Ramaswamy has taken money from men listed in them.
Ohioans deserve a governor who will stand with survivors, not stay silent. As governor, I will do everything in my power to stop abuse like this, support survivors, and hold their abusers accountable.
— Dr. Amy Acton (@amyactonoh) October 17, 2026
DeWine described the advertisement as "deeply, deeply troubling" while standing at the Ohio Statehouse. He declared that the Ramaswamy campaign must remove the content immediately. This marks a rare public break between the outgoing governor and the man he endorsed to succeed him.
The minute-long spot features Donna Stearns Arthur, who criticizes her own daughter and urges voters not to support Acton's bid for governor, according to the Washington Examiner. NBC News reports that Acton claims she has neither spoken to nor seen her mother for almost 50 years. In the advertisement, Arthur asserts that her daughter fabricated stories regarding her childhood hardships and history. Acton accused her mother's second husband of molesting her when she was between 9 and 12 years old. Charges were filed against the stepfather, who pleaded not guilty, fled the state, and died in 2004. Acton called the ad "horrible and hideous" and "despicable."
To justify his intense response to the commercial, DeWine referenced his prior work prosecuting multiple rape cases. He said, "I think we all have an obligation to speak out for the victims." Despite his harsh words, the governor reaffirmed his support for Ramaswamy when pressed by reporters.
"Look, today is about the ad, but I'm not — no, I'm not changing my endorsement," DeWine said, according to NBC News. He added that he endorses the whole ticket and works with many amazing people on that list. Sen. Jon Husted also criticized the decision to air the ad, saying, "I would not have run that ad," per the Washington Examiner.
Although President Donald Trump indicated he did not know the ad, he proposed that Acton's mother might provide pertinent testimony. He stated, "The fact is, I know nothing about it," according to the Washington Examiner. Trump added that the mother seems to have gone rogue on the daughter but noted that the mother might be a witness to things.
Vice President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy, though the specific details of his defense were not fully detailed in the initial reporting. DeWine denounced the ad, taking sides with the Democratic candidate over her Republican rival, per the Washington Times. The governor emphasized that the community must send a message to children that people will protect them.
Ramaswamy confirmed his campaign had made the ad. The governor urged the campaign to take the spot down but did not specify a deadline for removal. It remains unclear if the campaign will comply with the governor's request before Election Day.
DeWine stated that the situation was one of the reasons he felt compelled to speak out, according to ABC News. He stressed that they must make sure to always try to protect children from such exploitation. The situation continues to unfold as the election draws closer in Ohio.