Polling Firm Admits Fabricated Poll Data in Social Experiment

A pollster called Median Strategies has admitted that its recently published surveys, which showed substantial leads for two Democratic candidates, were entirely fabricated. The firm described the operation as a short-term social experiment to test how easily false polling data could enter the American political news cycle. The confession, first reported by the Los Angeles Times, revealed that the data concerning races for Los Angeles mayor and Wisconsin governor was invented, raising questions about media verification practices.

The fabricated polls included one showing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with a 12-point lead over her challenger, City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, ahead of their November runoff election. Another fake survey indicated that Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong held a 23-point advantage over her opponent, David Crowley. Hong ultimately lost the primary race to Crowley by a margin of less than one point, a stark contrast to the poll's projection. The false data was detailed, with the Los Angeles poll claiming a margin of error of 4.1 percent based on a survey of 560 voters conducted between July 30 and August 5.