US Sen. Jon Husted, (R-OH), Rep. Warren Davidson, (R-OH), and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy attend a campaign rally at the Sharonville Convention Center, in Sharonville, Ohio, US October 21, 2026. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS
Ohio’s Republican secretary of state, Frank LaRose, confirmed his office is looking into complaints about a political ad featuring Democrat Amy Acton’s mother, WSYX reported.
“We’ve had complaints from various people about those ads,” LaRose said, without discussing specifics. He explained that after a complaint arrives, staff determine whether any law was broken and impose a fine if so.
He also weighed in on the ad itself. The ad has received outrage, including from many Republicans, owing to the fact that Amy Acton's mother, who called her a liar, has been estranged from her for four decades after she allegedly refused to protect her from child sexual abuse.
“I probably wouldn’t run an ad like that,” LaRose said, adding that candidates make their own decisions.
The review focuses on whether an ad has the correct disclaimer and is funded by a permissible source. Complaints go to the bipartisan Ohio Election Integrity Commission, which operates out of his office and typically rules within a month or two, he said. He likened it to a speeding ticket: a fine is issued, paid, and publicly posted.
LaRose said he couldn’t predict how long this review would take or what would come of it, since it’s an active matter.
Separately, HuffPost earlier reported that the video lacked the typical “paid for” disclaimer, raising questions about just how this ad was created and by whom.