House Republicans were skewered on social media after deleting a tweet attacking one of their own staff members as she testified before the January 6 committee.
“Just another liar and pawn in Pelosi’s witch-hunt,” the @HouseGOP account tweeted as Sarah Matthews appeared before the committee’s blockbuster primetime hearing on Thursday night.
Ms Matthews, a former deputy White House press secretary, is employed as a communications director at the Republican organisation, according to her Linkedin profile.
The tweet was quickly deleted, and a House GOP spokesperson told The Hill it had “been sent out at staff level and was not authorised.”
Their explanation didn’t stop House Republicans from receiving significant blowback over the faux pas.
Washington Post investigative reporter Josh Dawset wrote: “The House GOP account has deleted the tweet attacking Sarah Matthews, tonight’s witness, who works for the House GOP.”
Jacob Rubashkin, a reporter for Inside Elections, tweeted: “Does the person running this official account know that Sarah Matthews is, according to Legistorm and her LinkedIn, currently the communications director for House GOP side of the Climate Crisis committee?”
Some placed the blame on Rep Elise Stefanik, who oversees the Twitter account.
“Rep Stefanik, a woman I once admired, is allowing the official @HouseGOP account to be used to defame a fellow Republican woman for bravely testifying before Congress under oath. Shameful,” former White House strategic communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin wrote in a tweet she later deleted.
“Glad the tweet was taken down,” she added.
It wasn’t the only embarrassing slip up by the House GOP account on the night. Shortly after Thursday night’s hearing began, they wrote that Ms Matthews’ testimony was “all heresy”, when they meant to say “hearsay”. That tweet was also quickly taken down.
