Twitter accidentally suspends account of Stefanik’s communications director

Twitter on Thursday said it had suspended the account of GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (N.Y.) communications director “in error,” after the congresswoman accused the platform of censorship. 

Stefanik first tweeted Thursday morning that Twitter had suspended the account of Karoline Leavitt, who also formerly served as an assistant White House press secretary under former President Trump’s administration. 

BIG TECH on the MOVE! Twitter just suspended my Communications Director.

An unconstitutional overreach SILENCING our voices and freedom of speech.

Republicans are united in fighting back against Big Tech’s tyranny.

Millions of Americans will not be silenced!

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 6, 2021

However, a Twitter spokesperson later told The Hill that the account “was suspended in error,” adding that the move “has been reversed, and the account has been reinstated.” 

“The account’s followers will take 24-48 hours to fully restore,” the spokesperson added. 

Stefanik earlier Thursday had claimed that the suspension was an “unconstitutional overreach SILENCING our voices and freedom of speech.” 

Despite the response from Twitter, the congresswoman, who in recent days has emerged as the favorite among Trump and top House Republicans to oust Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) for House Republican Conference chair, doubled down on her claims of censorship, writing in a later tweet, “Why does this ONLY happen to conservatives?!” 

“Absolutely outrageous,” she added. “Because Big Tech is corrupt.” 

Why does this ONLY happen to conservatives?!

Absolutely outrageous.

Because Big Tech is corrupt. That’s why. https://t.co/fl3WFoDzqb

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 6, 2021

Leavitt later responded to the incident.

“BREAKING: It appears I’ve been released from Twitter’s Conservative Jail,” the communications director tweeted, adding that she did not believe the suspension was “an error.” 

“We cannot back down to Big Tech Giants! Our movement is too important!” Leavitt added.

BREAKING: It appears I’ve been released from Twitter’s Conservative Jail ‼️

This was not an “error,” as Twitter claimed. This was another purge in their ongoing effort to silence conservatives voices!

We cannot back down to Big Tech Giants! Our movement is too important! https://t.co/RfY4HjwOut

— Karoline Leavitt (@kc_leavitt) May 6, 2021

The pushback comes after several high-profile Republican lawmakers on Wednesday called for antitrust reforms following the decision by Facebook’s Independent Oversight Board to uphold Trump’s ban from the platform. 

Facebook in its decision wrote that “in maintaining an unfounded narrative of electoral fraud and persistent calls to action, Mr. Trump created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible.” 

Trump was initially suspended from Facebook and was permanently banned from Twitter and other platforms based on his posts surrounding the election and the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. 

House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (La.) on Wednesday said he supports looking into antitrust laws for social media platforms “to limit their monopolistic power.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), chairman of the powerful Republican Study Committee, tweeted Wednesday, “If Facebook is so big it thinks it can silence the leaders you elect, it’s time for conservatives to pursue an antitrust agenda.”

–Updated at 12:42 p.m.