Outlets Ran a Fake Pollster's Numbers Until One Site Checked the Data

Newsweek admitted Wedgewood Polls' surveys were reproduced by prominent outlets, including Newsweek itself, after the firm confessed to faking its data. FiftyPlusOne, an election analysis site, obtained Wedgewood's raw survey data, found problems and asked for comment. Wedgewood then admitted the data was bogus, FiftyPlusOne reported October 20. The numbers had already reached polling databases kept by The New York Times, Nate Silver, VoteHub and FiftyPlusOne, Newsweek reports, and Decision Desk HQ pulled 17 Wedgewood polls from its averages. On Point Politics removed 18 polls across 17 Senate and governor races in Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio and Texas from its averages and its forecast. On CNN, Jake Tapper said the group was cited by numerous high-profile outlets including the Times, and he faulted people in the media who see a new pollster and just run with it.