By Amy Grubbe
Erie County Democratic Party Chairwoman
This is the most despicable, disgusting tactic used by this Republican gubernatorial candidate to date. This ad is just one more example of how low this candidate and the republican party are willing to go with their lies. This is an all-time low for both.
It is apparent something is not right with this woman in the ad. She fled the state with her husband who was charged with rape and abuse of children and stayed with him till he died. There has been no contact between Dr. Acton and her biological mother for 40+ years - since her children were removed from her custody.
Using such a deplorable situation involving the rape and abuse of a 12 year old girl and her brother is ‘fair game’? This is unconscionable. Ramaswamy has been on stage justifying this saying: She just “complains about what someone else did to her.” Really? Many bipartisan officeholders have condemned this ad, said it should be removed and he should apologize. Instead, we haven’t heard a word from any local Republican Party official or officeholder, no state Republican - except for a few of DeWine’s cabinet people - officeholder. What about Husted and Moreno?
DeWine has finally denounced the ad saying it should not be aired; however, he has not withdrawn his endorsement of Ramaswamy. Apparently, Ramaswamy and the Republican Party have no conscious about the exploitation of the rape of a young 12-year-old girl and the abuse of her younger brother.
Since lying in political ads is allowed by the Supreme Court in Susan B. Anthony List v Driehaus (2014), lying is part of Free Speech and states cannot ‘police truth in political campaigns’; thus, voters are required to do their homework on determining what is truth, morally and ethically and what line they are not willing to cross. This ad calling Dr. Acton a liar when there is a court case and investigation substantiating everything that occurred during her and her brother’ young lives one would hope would be a red line for everyone.
To discourage this type of dark and despicable campaigning, one must have a moral compass of self ethics - not only for the candidate, but also for the candidate’s campaign and party since the courts have allowed for this garbage to be broadcast, mailed and aired. A Democrat withdrew from a presidential race because he was caught in a photo on a boat with another woman who wasn’t his wife. A Democrat resigned his Senate seat because more than 30 Democratic senators publicly called on him to resign due to allegations of inappropriate touching of women. When the ad specifically states she is a liar; when this woman fled with the abuser and had no contact with her children for 40+ years...and there are court documents detailing the rape and abuse. He is going to spend $4million to push this vile ad statewide, he is unfit to represent the State of Ohio as governor and the republican party is shameless for not denouncing this to date.
Where are the local, state and federal republicans denouncing this? Nowhere to be heard. It is time for a change in Ohio politics between the corruption, no moral or ethical values for a party that once claimed to the ‘party of family values’ that included protecting children. The reports of allegations of state republicans who have been investigated and/or charged with sexual abuse - and are still running for office - is unfathomable, if we actually didn’t read it for ourselves.
Ohioans deserve better. They now have a defining choice this election: Dr. Acton who has been a public servant her entire career, who has overcome extreme obstacles in her young life and will continue to make all Ohioans’ lives better. Or Ramaswamy who has no problem exploiting the childhood rape and abuses of his opponent’s childhood trauma, his alleged NY law license address violation and his alleged manipulation of investments. If he can do this with no qualms, what other decisions will he make as governor that will affect Ohioans in the long term.
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Amy Grubbe is the longtime chairwoman ofd the Erie County Democratic Party and a former member of the county elections board. Stay Tuned Sandusky did ask local Republicans for their reaction and to date have not received a response.
