Romney confirms name of secret Twitter account: Pierre Delecto

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Sunday night appeared to confirm his ownership of an anonymous Twitter account that has tweeted in his own defense to journalists and other lawmakers after the account was uncovered by Slate’s Ashley Feinberg.

In a profile of Romney published earlier on Sunday in The Atlantic, the senator said he maintained a private Twitter account that he used to keep tabs on the political discourse. “I won’t give you the name of it,” he told the publication, adding that he’s “following 668 people.”{mosads}

Feinberg later reported that she had likely found the account in question, which bears no profile image and goes by the name “Pierre Delecto.” The account follows a number of Romney’s family members as well as journalists, fellow lawmakers and former advisers to his 2012 run for president and subsequent Senate campaign.

Later on Sunday, The Atlantic reached out to Romney to confirm. Asked about the account, Romney told the publication, “C’est moi” — French for “it’s me.”

His office referred The New York Times back to that same tweet when asked for confirmation.

Romney’s anonymous account has also tweeted numerous times at some of Romney’s detractors, including one response to journalist Soledad O’Brien after O’Brien referred to Romney as lacking a “moral compass.”

The account had been made private by 10 p.m. Sunday evening, but screenshots of Romney’s tweets circulated on social media after being discovered by Slate.

Romney’s office did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.

Updated Oct. 21 at 8:36 a.m.