AMHERST, Ohio (Diya TV) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign said Wednesday it had removed a registered sex offender from a property-tax advertisement after learning of his criminal record.
The commercial features Amherst resident Patricia “Patty” Edwards describing fears that rising property taxes could force her family to sell its farm. Her husband, Vernon Edwards, appeared alongside her in background footage.
The Bulwark reported that court records showed Edwards pleaded guilty in October 2006 to two counts of gross sexual imposition involving a girl younger than thirteen. He received an eight-year prison sentence.
Campaign spokesperson Evan Machan said the team had not known about Edwards’ history.
“The man has been removed from the ad,” Machan said.
The campaign also deleted a social media video showing the couple meeting Ramaswamy at the Lorain County Fair. That encounter provided footage for the television commercial.
Patty Edwards said the campaign approached her to discuss her property-tax concerns. She emphasized that the advertisement focused on her experience, not her husband.
She disputed the allegations underlying his conviction and said he had served his sentence. The report documented his guilty pleas and registration as a sex offender.
