Rasmussen Reports Caught Colluding With Trump Campaign

[Pototan]

On Thursday, American Muckrakers posted about emails it received detailing how the conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports, which claims to be nonpartisan, shared polling results with Trump advisers and campaign officials like Dan Scavino, Susie Wiles, and John McLaughlin. The advisers, Rasmussen, and the nonprofit organizations that pay it for polling are violating tax and election laws, according to American Muckrakers.

One of the emails details close collaboration between the Trump campaign, Rasmussen, and the Heartland Institute, which calls itself a national free-market public policy think tank. However, it’s also a 501(c)3 nonprofit and is not allowed to engage in political activity benefiting a political candidate.

https://newrepublic.com/post/186444/conservative-poll-rasmussen-secretly-worked-trump-team

[Fla Dem]

1. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Rasmussen Reports have always been a questionable source.

[Pototan]

3. As I always say,

suspecting something is not as good as knowing something and proving something is way better than knowing something.

Now we have proof and it's tax fraud as well as unethical.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. Who is surprised by this?

[Pototan]

4. Please read reply #3

This proof has made major polling aggregators drop Rasmussen Reports from its averages.

Example: In other news, Silver Bulletin is now classifying Rasmussen Reports as an intrinsically partisan (GOP) pollster because of a credible report of explicit coordination with the Trump campaign, including leaked emails encouraging the Trump campaign to pay for its polls via third-party sponsors. This is way out of line for any pollster that could plausibly be called non-partisan.

[dchill]

12. Hasn't this been obvious for like 6 Presidential election cycles?

Polling weaponized, as it were.

[Pototan]

17. The difference is that they broke the law

not just that they were in the tank.

[Walleye]

5. I'm shocked, shocked.

[tenderfoot]

6. Aren't those the same polls some like to post here?

It's like someone is gaming the war.

[Pototan]

8. Scott Rasmussen

Sold Rasmussen Reports and no longer has anything to do with them.

He now posts under RMG, which has had some favorable Harris polls, which I have posted here.

[Cadfael]

7. Interesting....they were calling me weekly

for quite a while, and lately (since a week or so after the DNC) they have stopped calling this reliably Democratic household. I could always tell what talking points they were workshopping by the questions they asked

[republianmushroom]

9. I have very little faith in polls.

[mercuryblues]

10. this is my shocked face

[senseandsensibility]

13. This is mine

No offense to the OP. I'm glad he or she is providing evidence that this is happening, but anyone who "pretends" that Rasmussen is valid hasn't been paying attention.

[mercuryblues]

15. I always knew they leaned right

No biggie. Usually, the closer to the election the closer the polls became. IOW they were trying to keep a reputation as a reliable pollster. Then trump came onto the scene. Everything trump touches dies.

[Pototan]

18. Everyone who follows polls

knew that RR was polling in Trump's favor.

But I didn't know (and I don't think anyone else did either) that they were breaking the law. Election laws and tax laws or that they would be caught, in writing and red handed, colluding.

[senseandsensibility]

20. Yes, thank you for that information

Apparently, it caused Nate Silver to start labeling them as RW or downgrading their polls in some way (I forget the terminology), but the fact that he is using them at all is mind blowing.

[GiqueCee]

11. It's almost as if they deliberately look for ways...

... to be dishonest, even if it serves no worthwhile purpose. Conservatives are sick people.

[BWdem4life]

14. Lock them up!

[spanone]

16. Ratfucking. Who woulda thought.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

19. That poll and Trafalger- which admits it is funded by the GOP.

[Pototan]

21. Being funded by the GOP and disclosing that fact

is one thing. Being a non-partisan, tax exempt organization to create a shell for payment and then actively working with a campaign is punishable by fines and or imprisonment, The Trump campaign employees were guilty of conspiracy to commit tax fraud and violating election laws.

That's the main point of the article and post