GOP Senate candidate Lena Epstein is claiming her Twitter account was hacked after screenshots surfaced which appeared to show the account liked Tweets from former KKK leader David Duke, as well as white supremacist internet troll "Baked Alaska."
The screenshots were posted Thursday evening by Brandon Dillon, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party.
Republican Senate candidate @LenaEpstein seems to have a fondness for @DrDavidDuke and neo-Nazi @bakedalaska #shame pic.twitter.com/A4TaGxc3pW
— Brandon Dillon (@BrandonDillon75) August 18, 2017
Later that evening, Epstein tweeted, saying that she received an email from Twitter notifying her that her account was hacked. She attached a screenshot of an email sent by Twitter that alerts users when their account has been accessed on another device. Immediately after she tweeted again, calling Dillon's claims "ridiculous & offensive."
Today at 5PM ET we were notified that our Twitter had been hacked #MISEN pic.twitter.com/U6Dii8dlmf
— Lena Epstein (@LenaEpstein) August 18, 2017
Now the Michigan Democrat Party is claiming that my account retweeted/liked David Duke's posts. Ridiculous & offensive. #MISEN
— Lena Epstein (@LenaEpstein) August 18, 2017
Other Twitter users were quick to point out that the number of likes on Epstein's account appeared to decrease after Dillon tweeted the screenshots.
um. @LenaEpstein. Twitter is forever. After being exposed for Liking 3 Nazi Tweets, her likes went from 481 to 474.https://t.co/EAZiyNwEPq pic.twitter.com/fUFsqlIcT8
— Diana Hussein (@heyadiana) August 18, 2017
Epstein, who is Jewish, called for Dillon to delete his tweets and apologize, but Dillon says that Epstein is the one who should be the one doing the apologizing.
As a Jewish woman, I call on MI Dem Chair Dillon to apologize and delete tweets immediately. Dirty tricks unacceptable & offensive. #MISEN
— Lena Epstein (@LenaEpstein) August 18, 2017
As an American, I call on you to apologize for liking David Duke. I also call on the @migop to apologize for your candidacy. https://t.co/nkKFIPYiT9
— Brandon Dillon (@BrandonDillon75) August 18, 2017
A quick search on Twitter shows that other users have screenshots that appear to show Epstein's liking Duke's tweets.
We've hit peak 2017: Jewish senate candidate liking tweets from David Duke. pic.twitter.com/IsVxeTForW
— Jordan Acker (@JordanAckerMI) August 18, 2017
Epstein is running to be the Republican to take Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow's seat in 2018. She would be competing against Kid Rock, if he ever decides to officially run or not.
On Wednesday, Epstein appeared on Fox News with fellow Michiganian Ted Nugent to show support for President Donald Trump. Epstein is the Michigan Trump campaign Co-Chair and Nugent, a Trump fan from the campaign's beginning, once told President Obama to suck on his machine gun.
