NEW: Top Democrat Shattered A Mirror During ‘Domestic Dispute’ While On Pills

Police were called to the home of Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton during a 2019 domestic dispute that involved broken glass and concerns about her condition, according to a police report.

Officers in Bexley, a suburb of Columbus, responded in August 2019 to what was described as a “domestic dispute” at Acton’s residence. The report said Acton, then serving as director of the Ohio Department of Health, pulled a mirror off the wall, “shattering the glass” after she “became upset” and felt her husband “was antagonizing her.”

Acton told officers she had been drinking and had taken an unknown amount of prescription medication, and had been preparing to drive away before her husband persuaded her not to, the report said. Her husband also told police he had been drinking.

A medic who evaluated Acton recommended she go to the hospital, but she “refused,” according to the report. Police found no evidence of physical violence, describing the incident as a verbal dispute tied to her long work hours.

The episode remained out of public view as Acton rose to prominence months later during the COVID-19 pandemic, appearing alongside Gov. Mike DeWine in daily briefings and becoming one of the state’s most recognizable officials. She resigned in June 2020 and has since launched a bid for governor.

Amy Acton

Acton, 60, is expected to face Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur backed by DeWine and President Donald Trump, in the general election. Her campaign pushed back on the police account Friday, disputing key details. In a written response, the campaign said Acton had one drink at dinner before returning home and that during a “verbal disagreement regarding her long work hours,” she “bumped into a wall hanging which fell.”

According to her campaign, Acton went to bed and was asleep when officers arrived. The statement also said she was not “intoxicated” and that the medications referenced were ones she had taken routinely for years.

The campaign rejected the suggestion she needed medical care, saying any “harm, injury, or impairment” would have been documented in the report.

Bexley police did not respond to requests for comment.

“Amy Acton worked around the clock on behalf of Ohioans while serving as Health Director,” spokesperson Addie Bullock said, while also taking aim at Ramaswamy’s policies.

The 2019 incident was not widely known within the DeWine administration. The governor’s office said he only learned of it after being contacted by reporters.

“Prior to your inquiry, Governor DeWine was unaware of both the 2019 incident and the associated police report involving Dr. Acton,” spokesperson Dan Tierney said. “The Governor holds his staff to the highest standards of conduct. Given that the allegations in the report are deeply troubling, Governor DeWine would have expected Dr. Acton to have, at that time, promptly disclosed this to him, and he is very disappointed that it did not occur.”

DeWine has previously praised Acton, though he ultimately endorsed Ramaswamy after unsuccessfully trying to recruit Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel into the race.

Ohio has shifted solidly Republican in recent decades, with just one Democratic governor elected in the past 36 years. Still, limited polling has suggested a competitive race, fueling Democratic hopes of an upset.

Acton’s tenure during the pandemic remains a central issue. She became a lightning rod for conservative criticism over shutdowns and restrictions, while also drawing strong support from others who viewed her as a steady public health voice.

Protestor calls for “less Acton, more action” during DeWine’s COVID shutdown

At one point, protests outside the Statehouse and her home included demonstrators carrying firearms and antisemitic signs. Acton, who is Jewish, downplayed the protests when she stepped down, saying she wanted more time with her family.

DeWine praised her departure at the time, calling her a “hero” who wears a “white coat.” She stayed on briefly as an adviser before leaving the administration in August 2020.

Since entering the governor’s race, Acton has leaned heavily on her personal story, highlighting a childhood in Youngstown marked by poverty, hunger, and periods of homelessness. She later became a pediatrician and earned a master’s degree in public health from Ohio State University before joining DeWine’s Cabinet in 2019.

Republicans have seized on her resignation during the pandemic as a line of attack.

“What did Amy Acton do when the Legislature began pushing back? Amy Acton quit,” state Senate President Rob McColley said in January. “Ohio needs a businessman, not a bureaucrat. Ohio needs a creator, not a quitter. Ohio needs a visionary, not a victim. Ohio needs somebody who’s going to focus on affordability, not somebody who’s going to put in lockdown policies that are going to raise our prices.”

DeWine, however, has taken responsibility for the state’s pandemic decisions.

“The decisions that were made during Covid, they were my decisions, so no one should blame someone else if they don’t like it,” he said in a December interview. “The buck stops with me.”

Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>