The Mirror

Rep. Paul Ryan has bizarre rules about giving autographs

Betsy Rothstein Gossip blogger
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House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan has strange, stringent rules when it comes to giving autographs.

Mark Wilkins, a.k.a. Marky Mark, one of Washington’s few entertainment photographers, recently approached the former Republican V.P. hopeful from Wisconsin and asked for his autograph – but Ryan refused.

Wilkins highlighted Ryan’s hypocritical stance on autographs on Twitter — after all, he noticed that Ryan had no problem seeking out the autograph of Willie Robertson, the Duck Dynasty star, at the State of the Union Tuesday night.

“PRETTY FUNNY – @RepPaulRyan lectured me on autographs, but asked @williebosshog for his signature last night #UGH #DMV,” wrote Wilkins.

So what’s good for the goose (Ryan) is not good for the gander (Wilkins)?

“I saw him at Brookings Institute last week, ” Wilkins explained to The Mirror. “As he arrived, I asked him to sign a few business cards of his, he said NO I know what your doing with these, and he walked away. I said I VOTED for you. He walked back out and said ‘ethically’ he cannot sign for me.”

What disastrously evil things did Ryan think the photographer was going to do with his John Hancock? “Who knows, I got 25 autographs from Barack Obama last year, with no problem, and I can’t get one from Paul Ryan, sheeesh,” Wilkins said.

We phoned Will Allison in Ryan’s press office to learn more. They did not respond to a phone call or written request for comment by press time.