Wedgewood Polls Admits Fabricating Data in Key Democratic Races
Wedgewood Polls admitted to fabricating data in several political races, claiming the fraud was an experimental project to expose industry vulnerabilities.
Polling firm Wedgewood Polls admitted to fabricating data across several key political races, including Democratic primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin. The admission followed an investigation by the election data analysis website FiftyPlusOne. The firm claimed the fraud was an "experimental project" designed to demonstrate the lack of oversight and low barriers to entry in the modern polling industry.
The fabricated results frequently favored progressive candidates, including Abdul El-Sayed and Francesca Hong. These fake polls were included in aggregators run by The New York Times and Nate Silver before they were removed. In Michigan, candidate Mallory McMorrow alleged that a fraudulent poll showing her trailing El-Sayed caused campaign donations to dry up, increasing pressure for her to exit the race prematurely.
While other polls also showed El-Sayed leading, his eventual victory was narrower than the fabricated data suggested. The firm was founded by Jack Sims and Andrew Prater, with Sims reportedly using his polling experience to bypass quality-control measures. There are now calls for the Federal Election Commission to investigate whether the data was intended to influence elections or manipulate prediction markets for profit.
