Ohio Democrat Amy Acton’s estranged mother was convicted in a disturbing animal-neglect case after newborn kittens were found trapped in a sweltering car — as her GOP gubernatorial rival Vivek Ramaswamy faced bipartisan blowback for featuring her in a campaign attack ad.
Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, was busted in Pennsylvania in 2021 after four kittens were found locked in her “filthy” vehicle, where temperatures reached a sizzling 120 degrees, according to court records.
One of the baby felines — which were only five days old — later died from heat exhaustion, a worker at a local nonprofit, Happy Valley Animals in Need, testified, according to the docs.
The founder of another local animal shelter, Hope’s Dream Rescue and Sanctuary, also told the court that another kitten in the litter had already died under Arthur’s watch and that the mother cat had previously escaped.
A humane society police officer who was called to rescue the babies recorded an interior temperature of 120 degrees inside the car and described feeling a “wave of heat release” when he opened the door, the court docs state.
The distressing incident came to light after Ramaswamy’s campaign released an ad this week featuring Arthur calling her daughter a “liar” and urging Ohioans not to vote for her.
Acton, who has spoken publicly about her troubled childhood long before entering politics, has said her mother lost custody of her when she was 12 years old because of neglect and child abuse.
Her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, also allegedly sexually abused her for years.
The Arthurs have not spoken to Acton since losing custody of her.
The ad has sparked a political firestorm, with voices from both parties condemning the campaign’s decision to feature Acton’s estranged mother.
President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, however, defended Ramaswarmy when asked about it.
Trump said that he “doesn’t have a lot of respect for the daughter” and thinks “the mother is a witness to things also.”
“It’s a very unusual situation to have a mother hate her daughter that much,” the president added.
The National Review and Politifact, among other outlets, have examined legal records supporting Acton’s account of her childhood.
Other reporting has uncovered court records detailing the Arthurs’ criminal history.
Donna and Cledith Arthur were both convicted of felony theft by deception in Pennsylvania in 1996, according to state court records.
Donna Arthur also had a prior conviction for the same offense in 1995, Newsweek reported.
In the animal neglect case, Arthur was initially sentenced to a fine and probation and was prohibited from keeping animals while living in her car. She appealed, arguing that she had been denied counsel.
The appellate court ultimately vacated the conviction and sentence due to a procedural error and sent the case back to a trial court for further proceedings.
Notably, the appellate court’s ruling did not overturn the conviction on the merits. In an opinion, the judge detailed the evidence presented at trial, including Arthur’s admission that she was living in her vehicle with her cats.
Arthur, meanwhile, disputed that the car was dangerously hot and accused the responding officer of shouting at her and being rude. She also claimed she was being stalked.
Ramasway’s campaign has continued to defend the controversial ad, doubling down on its attacks and repeatedly describing Acton as a “serial fabulist.”
The Republican campaign has spent at least $4 million airing the spot on television across Ohio.
