Polling Firm Admits Fabricating Data as Industry Oversight Experiment

By Andrew Powell (/journals/andrew-powell)

A polling firm that produced surveys showing several liberal candidates performing strongly in competitive races has admitted that its numbers were fabricated, triggering outrage among Democrats and renewed scrutiny of how political polls are vetted. According to Fox News, Wedgewood Polling acknowledged Tuesday that it had used "fabricated numbers" as part of what it described as an experimental project designed to expose weaknesses in the polling industry. The firm said the project was intended to demonstrate how easy it can be to enter the modern political polling business and how limited oversight can leave questionable data circulating. But the consequences extended well beyond an experiment. Wedgewood's surveys were cited in several closely watched Democratic primaries and were used by political organizations and media outlets to assess races. Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow said the polling affected her campaign during the Democratic Senate primary against Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich. She said donations slowed after the numbers circulated and reporters repeatedly contacted her about whether she should leave the race. "Polling is broken," McMorrow said in a statement on X. She argued that people had invested substantial time and money based on information that turned out to be fabricated. Democratic strategist Jennifer Holdsworth said she ran a super PAC supporting McMorrow and claimed donors pulled funding after seeing the poll. She said the group was already being outspent by $80 million, and the polling contributed to a further loss of financial support. Wedgewood's surveys also appeared in the Wisconsin gubernatorial contest, where one poll showed socialist candidate Francesca Hong ahead of Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany. Hong later lost the Democratic primary. https://x.com/WedgewoodPolls/status/2112669955917242510 Several major political data organizations have since removed Wedgewood's numbers. The New York Times said it eliminated 15 Wedgewood polls conducted between June and October, while Decision Desk HQ removed 17 from its projections. Decision Desk HQ said the removals did not change its projected Senate or House seat totals or its estimates for control of either chamber. The fallout has prompted harsh criticism from political strategists. Former Kamala Harris adviser Mike Nellis accused Wedgewood of lying about its data and questioned whether donors who helped fund its polling efforts would get their money back. Independent outlet FiftyPlusOne also said it had been investigating Wedgewood before the firm acknowledged fabricating data. Co-founder G. Elliott Morris accused the company of attempting to frame the situation as a social experiment. The episode comes as campaigns, voters and political organizations closely monitor polling ahead of the November elections, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already contentious campaign season. Watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3w6K45O9Zc

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