Randy Bryce admits to buying Twitter followers in 2015 before campaign run

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Republicans are criticizing a potential Democratic challenger to House Speaker Paul Ryan for paying money a few years ago to gain Twitter followers.

The New York Times reports that ironworker Randy Bryce purchased Twitter followers in 2015, when he was a blogger and labor activist. That's before he started his campaign to unseat Ryan in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District.

Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for the Bryce campaign, tells CBS 58 that Bryce spent about $10 to $20 in 2015 to buy followers when he was trying out blogging.

The National Republican Congressional Committee criticized Bryce for buying Twitter followers in the past. Ryan's campaign communications director, Jeremy Adler, says the story "exposes just how artificial support" for Bryce is.

The Bryce campaign sent out an email Sunday afternoon calling on Paul Ryan and the National Republican Congressional Committee to return contributions from casino mogul Steve Wynn who is accused of sexual harassment claims.