US Firm Sued Over False Poll Claims

Markos Moulitsas, founder of US political weblog The Daily Kos, is to sue polling firm Research 2000, claiming that some or all of the research it conducted for his web site was 'fabricated or manipulated beyond recognition'.

Research 2000 President Del Ali and his company have signaled that they intend to countersue and vigorously defend themselves against all charges.

Founded in 2002, Daily Kos is an online political community with 2.5 million unique visitors per month and 250,000 registered users. Reports in the US media say Research 2000, which has conducted a weekly poll for the weblog since 2009, has now been fired over allegations of 'extreme anomalies' in its poll results.

Moulitsas says that a report conducted by three statistical analysts found that the data produced trends that were 'too smooth and consistent' to be believable. Additionally, Moulitsas claims that the polling firm has refused to provide him with the raw data that the poll results are based on.

'I will tell you unequivocally that we conducted every poll properly for the Daily Kos,' Ali told The Washington Post, which has also used his firm's services.