(CNN) The ties between a far-right US Senate candidate in Virginia and an anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim US House candidate in Wisconsin go beyond public exchanges of praise to include a political campaign payment.

During his failed primary bid for Virginia governor in 2017, Republican Corey Stewart paid far-right commentator Paul Nehlen $759 dollars as a "fundraising commission," in May, according to a June 2017 campaign finance filing with the Virginia Department of Elections.

Video surfaced earlier this week of Stewart praising Nehlen in January 2017 during the weekend of the inauguration of President Donald Trump. In the video, Stewart calls Nehlen one of his "personal heroes" and said he was "inspired" by the far-right figure's failed 2016 primary challenge to House Speaker Paul Ryan in Wisconsin. Nehlen is running again this year for the same seat, which Ryan will vacate with his announced retirement.

Stewart's payment to Nehlen, made to his company the "Paul Nehlan (sic) Group" in the June 2017 filings, came before Nehlen began openly making anti-Semitic statements but well after Nehlen had begun making viciously anti-Muslim comments and promoting fringe conspiracy theories, according to a CNN K-File review of his Nehlen's now-archived Twitter feed.

The Washington Post reported earlier Thursday that Stewart said he no longer considers Nehlen a hero.