Amy Actons estranged mom left five-day-old kittens in a sweltering car to die, court records reveal

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...