A registered sex offender appeared in a Vivek Ramaswamy campaign commercial about Ohio property taxes, and the Republican gubernatorial candidate's team scrambled to pull him from the footage this week after reporters identified him. Vernon Edwards, who was convicted in Cuyahoga County in October 2006 on two counts of gross sexual imposition involving a minor under age 13, had appeared in B-roll shot at the Lorain County Fair alongside his wife, Patty Edwards, who spoke in the ad about fearing she could lose the family farm to rising property tax bills.
Investigative outlet The Bulwark first reported Vernon Edwards' criminal history, according to The New Republic, which detailed that Edwards was sentenced to eight years in prison following his conviction. The footage itself traced back to Aug. 27, when Ramaswamy shook Edwards' hand and complimented his patriotic shirt at the Lorain County Fair, the same shirt that matched his sex offender registry photo, as reported by the Chronicle-Telegram. It was only after that encounter that Patty Edwards spoke on camera about the family's fears over losing their farm.
Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson Evan Machan said the campaign had no prior knowledge of Edwards' record once media inquiries surfaced, and the team removed him from the commercial and quietly deleted a September social media video that had shown the handshake between Ramaswamy and Edwards, Newsweek reported. Local outlet WKRC similarly reported that the campaign said it had no knowledge of the reported circumstances surrounding Edwards and confirmed his removal from the ad, according to a statement provided to WKRC.
Wife's Defense Keeps Story Alive
Patty Edwards has continued to defend her husband publicly, calling the 2006 charges against him false and describing him as an exemplary citizen who had served his time, per the same New Republic report. She remains featured in the re-edited version of the commercial even after Vernon Edwards was cut from it, a detail that has kept the controversy in the headlines rather than letting it fade after the initial edit.
Ramaswamy's campaign maintained that property taxes are very high and are causing many Ohioans to consider leaving their homes, per the statement provided to WKRC. That message has anchored the campaign's broader advertising strategy, which launched in March as a historic $10 million statewide push centered on rolling back Ohio property taxes to pre-pandemic levels amid surging residential valuations, according to Signal Ohio.
Democratic Opponent Responds
Vernon Edwards' 2006 conviction falls under Ohio Revised Code § 2907.05, which classifies gross sexual imposition involving a victim under age 13 as a felony carrying statutory prison sentences and mandatory placement on the state's tier-based sex offender registry, according to Ohio Laws. A spokeswoman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton criticized the ad, calling Ramaswamy's choice to amplify a convicted pedophile disgusting and disqualifying, WKRC reported.
Critics also pointed to Ramaswamy's previous endorsements of state lawmakers facing misconduct allegations. It is not the first time Ramaswamy's advertising has drawn scrutiny this campaign season; in September, Cleveland.com reported that a separate Ramaswamy attack ad cited a $21 billion tax increase figure attributed to a Cleveland.com story that had actually debunked that exact number.
Ramaswamy entered the general election after winning the Republican primary. Incumbent Republican Governor Mike DeWine had endorsed his candidacy in January, before the primary, as Hoodline reported. With the November election approaching, the ad controversy has become a flashpoint in the contest.
