In Ohio, a political attack advertisement featuring images of a recently deceased family has sparked outrage as the relatives of the victims expressed deep distress over the ad’s use of their likeness without consent. The ad, which aired throughout the state this month, was financed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and authorized by Senator Jon Husted’s campaign as he campaigns against former Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat.

The commercial references a fatal crash that occurred in April north of Columbus, in which Lynnea Sopsoki, her husband Luke, and their 1-year-old son Logan were killed when a semi-truck collided with their pickup truck, resulting in a nine-vehicle pileup and a devastating fire. The driver of the semi, Modou Ngom, faces multiple felony charges, including three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and four counts of vehicular assault. Ngom has pleaded not guilty, and the trial is expected to begin in September.

The ad accuses Sherrod Brown of responsibility, claiming he “opened our doors to dangerous illegals” and implying that Brown’s policies contributed to the crash. It features images of the Sopsoki family alongside a photo of the semi-truck driver and footage of the accident. The Ohio Department of Public Safety stated that Ngom entered the United States in the 1990s and allegedly used multiple names and birthdates to obtain state and federal identification. The department has referred the case to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation. However, Ngom’s lawyer contends that the state’s claims undermine his right to a fair trial. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Ngom was naturalized in 2015 but declined to comment on fraud allegations.

Jesse Mallen, the brother of Lynnea Sopsoki, has publicly condemned the ad, describing the campaign’s actions as classless and an intrusion on the family’s grief. He reached out privately to Senator Husted’s campaign urging them to halt the ad, but after a week without response, he went public with his objections. Mallen emphasized that the family had not consented to the use of his sister’s photo and that neither he nor his family had any affiliation with Brown’s campaign. The ad reportedly ran for at least 16 days and cost the Republicans approximately $1 million, according to advertising tracking data.

The NRSC defended its messaging, stating Brown has supported “open border policies that cost Ohioans their lives, without ever apologizing,” and pledged to continue holding him accountable. Both Senator Husted’s and Sherrod Brown’s campaigns declined to comment directly on the ad. Brown’s campaign pointed to an independent analysis that found no evidence linking Brown’s legislative history to the crash.

The use of victims’ stories in political ads focused on immigration has become a contentious strategy in recent years, eliciting mixed reactions from families. Some relatives, such as those of Katie Abraham in Illinois, have supported immigration enforcement efforts tied to their loss, while others have expressed pain at the politicization of their tragedies.

Local residents and relatives of the Sopsoki family have reported significant emotional distress triggered by repeated airings of the ad. Joseph Sopsoki, father of Luke Sopsoki, criticized the political exploitation of the family’s tragedy, calling it a display of “absolutely no compassion.”

Meanwhile, legal proceedings continue as Ngom remains incarcerated in Delaware County jail. The Sopsoki family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Ngom and the trucking company involved in the crash. Ohio’s Republican Senator Bernie Moreno has called for a review of Ngom’s citizenship status, urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider denaturalization if fraud is confirmed.

Days after the crash, the family held a memorial focusing on personal memories rather than politics, recalling Lynnea’s passion for veterinary medicine, Luke’s beekeeping hobby, and the joy brought by their son Logan. The couple had been nearing their 12th wedding anniversary at the time of their deaths.