Median Strategies admits to fabricating election polls as social experiment

political misinformation election polling scandal Median Strategies Karen Bass social experiment

Median Strategies, a previously unknown polling firm, has admitted to fabricating multiple election surveys across several states, describing the actions as a “short-term social experiment” to observe how unverified data spreads through the political ecosystem.

The firm released a fake poll in Los Angeles claiming Mayor Karen Bass held a 12-point lead over challenger Nithya Raman. Mayor Bass briefly amplified the results on social media before deleting the post. The firm also released a fraudulent survey in Wisconsin that showed Democratic socialist candidate Francesca Hong leading by over 20 points; Hong ultimately lost the primary.

Median Strategies has since shuttered its website and withdrawn all previously published data. The firm stated that the operation was not funded or directed by any political candidate, campaign, or organization. In response to the scandal, the Bass campaign has called for a criminal investigation into bad-faith attempts to influence elections, while the Raman campaign criticized the lack of vetting regarding the source.

Entities

Francesca Hong · Karen Bass · Los Angeles · Median Strategies · Nithya Raman · Spencer Pratt

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] A fake poll claimed Francesca Hong held a 23-point advantage in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. americanfaith.com · conservativedailynews.com · thenationalpulse.com
[● 7 SOURCES] The firm fabricated its polling data as a social experiment to study the spread of unverified information. americanfaith.com · timesng.com · conservativedailynews.com · looniepolitics.com · www.foxnews.com · +2 more
[● 3 SOURCES] The Mayor's campaign called for a criminal investigation into attempts to influence elections. timesng.com · conservativedailynews.com · dnyuz.com
[● 7 SOURCES] A fake poll claimed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a 12-point lead over Nithya Raman. americanfaith.com · timesng.com · conservativedailynews.com · dnyuz.com · mynewsla.com · +2 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Nithya Raman's office criticized the Mayor's campaign for failing to vet the source of the poll. dnyuz.com · www.epochtimes.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The firm has withdrawn all previously published polling releases and shut down its website. americanfaith.com · www.foxnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The firm claimed the experiment was not funded or directed by any candidate, campaign, or political organization. www.foxnews.com · laopinion.com · thenationalpulse.com
[● 4 SOURCES] A fake poll claimed Wisconsin candidate Francesca Hong held a 20-to-23-point lead in the gubernatorial primary. americanfaith.com · conservativedailynews.com · www.foxnews.com · thenationalpulse.com
[● 7 SOURCES] The fake Los Angeles poll claimed to have surveyed 560 voters between July 30 and August 5. americanfaith.com · timesng.com · conservativedailynews.com · dnyuz.com · www.epochtimes.com · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The firm fabricated its polling data as a social experiment to observe how unverified information spreads. americanfaith.com · timesng.com · conservativedailynews.com · looniepolitics.com · www.foxnews.com · +2 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The Raman campaign criticized the Bass campaign for promoting a fake poll without proper vetting. dnyuz.com · www.epochtimes.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The Mayor's campaign called for a criminal investigation into the bad-faith attempts to influence elections. timesng.com · conservativedailynews.com · dnyuz.com · www.epochtimes.com