Overview
- Wedgewood Polls said most of its surveys were invented and framed the work as a “social experiment,” then deleted its online presence after analysts pressed for proof.
- Polling aggregators and news outlets had included Wedgewood results in public trackers and reporting, allowing the bogus numbers to shape summer campaign narratives and donor behavior.
- Analysts at FiftyPlusOne and other trackers flagged inconsistencies and removed Wedgewood entries, and Decision Desk HQ reported deleting multiple fake polls from its system.
- The episode has revived links to earlier cases by Median Strategies and a vanished operation called SoCal Strategies, suggesting a pattern of fabricated poll operations exploiting low barriers to entry.
- Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice has asked the FCC to investigate broadcasters’ use of the polls and requested DOJ consultation, and newsrooms and trackers are weighing stricter verification steps ahead of election day.