L.A. Pollster Shuts Down

Median Strategies said on Aug. 17 that it fabricated election surveys showing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong leading their races, calling the releases a “short-term social experiment.” The firm withdrew its polls, told readers not to cite them as genuine, and announced it had concluded the project and would publish no additional surveys. One withdrawn poll showed Hong ahead by more than 20 points in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary, while another showed Bass gaining ground in her reelection race. The fabricated data had circulated through campaigns and political media before the firm’s admission.