Alabama Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan warned party officials and candidates against endorsing someone other than Roy Moore in the Dec. 12 special election for the U.S. Senate, according to the Alabama Political Reporter.

"It would be a serious error for any current elected GOP official or candidate to publicly endorse another party's candidate, an independent, a third party or a write in candidate in a general election as well," Lathan told APR. "I have heard of no GOP elected official or candidate that is even considering this option."

Lathan recited the rule under which the party can deny a candidate ballot access. If a Republican office holder publicly participates in the Democratic primary or publicly supports the nominee of another party, they can be denied ballot access for up to six years.

Moore has strongly denied a woman's claims in a Washington Post report published Nov. 9 that she had a sexual encounter with Moore in 1979, when she was 14 and he was a 32-year-old county prosecutor.

Three other women said Moore dated them or asked them on dates when they were ages 16-18 and he was in his early 30s, according to the story.

Moore has characterized the report as an attack intended to derail his campaign and has said he would sue the Washington Post.

Click here to read AL.com's coverage of Roy Moore.

Two U.S. senators withdrew their endorsement of Moore and the Senate Republicans' fundraising committee ended an agreement with Moore's campaign.

But Alabama Republicans who have spoken out have generally defended Moore, questioning why allegations from 38 years ago have surfaced a month before the election.

Efforts by AL.com to reach Lathan have been unsuccessful. State GOP communications director Katie Lansford said Saturday that Lathan would be issuing a statement at some point but she has not yet done so.

It's too late for the party to replace Moore with another candidate, other than a write-in candidate.

Moore faces Democratic nominee Doug Jones in the Dec. 12 election.