Median Strategies closes after admitting it faked polling showing Karen Bass, Francesca Hong ahead

Polling firm Median Strategies announced that it has closed down after it was reported to have faked polling results that were circulated publicly to portray Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Francesca Hong as ahead in their respective races, according to a Monday update posted on the company’s website.

In the company message, Median Strategies said it had concluded its polling project and that it would not publish additional results. The disclosure followed reporting that the firm’s previously published polls contained fabricated data, rather than results drawn from legitimate survey work.

The polls at the center of the dispute were described in coverage as showing Bass, a Democrat and the mayor of Los Angeles, ahead with wide margins. Separate polling coverage also pointed to fabricated results for Francesca Hong, identified in the reporting as a former Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate, depicting her as ahead with large margins in her race.

The company did not provide additional publicly detailed documentation in the materials summarized in the report, including any description of how long the fabricated results were allegedly used or what internal review, contract controls, or other compliance steps were in place during the period those results were circulated.

As a result of the shutdown announcement and the report of fabricated polling, the practical effect is that Median Strategies’ further releases are halted, and any organizations, campaigns, or media outlets that previously referenced the company’s published numbers will face the question of whether those figures can be relied on for coverage, planning, or messaging.

Election-related polling is frequently cited as a report for public discussion, but it is also a form of information that can influence resource allocation and media framing. When polling data are fabricated, it can distort that information environment and create downstream corrections, including the need for editors and broadcasters to revisit prior references to the disputed results.

The shutdown comes at a time when races for high-profile offices continue to generate attention, and it also raises broader questions about polling transparency and verification. If additional complaints, investigations, or legal steps follow, they would likely focus on whether fabricated data were disseminated knowingly, whether proper disclosures were made, and what remedies are available for those affected by reliance on the results.

For now, the company’s publicly posted statement indicates only that its polling work has ended and that no further polling output will be released, leaving the core factual questions about the fabricated results to be addressed through whatever additional reporting or review may follow.