Like her idol. Rachel Maddow Using Multiple Fake Twitter Accounts To Boost Mentions Of Show? http://t.co/A9GHDXbI8A via @DanRiehl — Rockermom (@therockermom) March 2, 2013

A thread at Free Republic suggests that MSNBC host Rachel Maddow “has been using phony twitter accounts to boost her ‘mentions’ on” Twitter. A search yields hundreds of identical tweets like this:

https://twitter.com/sexyayeshamoosa/statuses/305314430630113280

https://twitter.com/missshericelanz/status/305314823783202816

https://twitter.com/sexy_joyabroadn/status/306461609465884672

https://twitter.com/its_kassie5838/status/307799405967310849

https://twitter.com/therealtranmanh/status/307566196922937344

Twitter user @LeftyBollocks shared a screen shot of just some of the tweets from apparent spambots.

Ever wonder how a show nobody watches (#Maddow) trends on Twitter? Pay for spam bots => pic.twitter.com/ltpyUK1ua1 — LeftyBollocks (@LeftyBollocks) March 2, 2013

The tweets from cleavage-flaunting Maddow “fans” date back to at least Feb. 23. Using the DoesFollow service, Twitchy checked dozens of the accounts to determine whether any actually follow Rachel Maddow on Twitter.

The answer?

In fact, many of these accounts have few followers and follow no one, and most have tweeted the hashtag #TeamFollowback. That hashtag is often used by spammers to build follower counts so their accounts seem more legitimate.

https://twitter.com/missshericelanz/status/307898794803097600

https://twitter.com/sexy_joyabroadn/status/307817891535912963

You’re unique! Just like every other Maddow-lovin’ spammer.

https://twitter.com/collegepolitico/status/307722546957144065

LOL jk. I'm not a spam bot… — Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) March 2, 2013

Did Maddow or one of her staffers launch a paid campaign to trend the #Maddow hashtag on Twitter?

CHARGE: Rachel Maddow Busted Using Multiple Fake Twitter Accounts To Boost Mentions Of Her Show? http://t.co/ed7SpVOCf5 via @instapundit — Instapundit.com (@instapundit) March 2, 2013

Conservative Twitter users have their suspicions.

Hilarious! Rachel Maddow busted using fake accounts to boost mentions on twitter. Search:"I yell at my TV while watching Rachel" and laugh! — Icwhatudo (@icwhatudo) March 2, 2013

The good thing for #Maddow is her five viewers will never hear that she's a fraud and her network will never mention it. — SmallgGay (@SmallgGay) March 2, 2013

https://twitter.com/brady_cremeens/status/307728495377793024

OH my lots of fail on that @Maddow RT @BryTupper: Being accused of using fake twitter accounts to boost up mentions/trends for her show. # — Marc T Grove (@mtgrove) March 2, 2013

This news of @maddow using fake Twitter accounts to spam on behalf of her show has me stunned. I don’t know what to believe anymore. — John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) March 2, 2013

@DanRiehl If she is "gaming the system" to boost mentions, maybe she is doing the same on # of viewers. If so she is doing a crappy job. — Icwhatudo (@icwhatudo) March 2, 2013

For now, the flood of #Maddow spam-tweets appears to have ended.

‏@DanRiehl I wonder if sudden stop of #maddow bots (4hrs ago) had something to do with story breaking, or maybe her fingers tired of typing — Icwhatudo (@icwhatudo) March 2, 2013

Heh.

Update:

And … they’re back:

https://twitter.com/hottietarra7778/status/307902239232643072

https://twitter.com/itsdainebahamon/status/307903249766309892

Update:

Twitter suspends fake accounts that pimped Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show

Update:

MSNBC tweeted a statement that was retweeted by the verified Maddow Blog account.