The admission of fraud followed an inquiry by FiftyPlusOne, which had been preparing an investigation into the firm's data. While Wedgewood claimed the fabrication was a social experiment to expose flaws in the polling industry, FiftyPlusOne described the excuse as an attempt to save face. The firm's fake data had been included in the New York Times, Nate Silver's tracking averages, and reports by MS NOW. Wedgewood also allegedly charged clients $200 to create fake polls to artificially boost its industry credibility.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Wedgewood to Publish More Polls After 2026 Midterms Despite Data Fraud
US Politics3 hours ago
The creators of a fraudulent data operation plan to release new surveys once the current US election cycle ends. Wedgewood Polls intends to resume publishing research after the 2026 midterms, despite admitting it fabricated its previous results to see if major media outlets would accept them. Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Michigan, stated that a fake June poll showing her support in the single digits caused campaign donations to dry up and prompted media calls for her to drop out of the race.
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