The campaign for Ohio Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed late Tuesday that it was behind the controversial ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton. 

The campaign also said that it would spend $4 million to promote it despite the bipartisan backlash it's received, the Associated Press reported. 

The ad features Donna Arthur, Acton's mother, saying her daughter "lies about her past" and "needs help." The ad does not include an attribution to indicate its financial backer. Action has been publicly open about facing homelessness and abuse as a child. Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather was indicted for raping Acton. 

Acton published a statement Tuesday from her brother, Philip Stearns, denouncing the ad and highlighting that Arthur had lost custody of them when they were children. He had also suggested Ramaswamy is behind the ad, and called it a "desperate, disgusting attack." 

Acton holds a 3.7% lead in the race, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, with two weeks before Election Day.