Subscriber sues Des Moines Register over fake news poll
Chicago, IL – The Center for American Rights (CAR) filed a lawsuit in Iowa state court against the Des Moines Register, polling firm Selzer & Company and founder Dr. Ann Selzer, and DMR parent company Gannett Co., Inc. based on the incredibly inaccurate November 2024 Iowa Poll. The suit, filed just weeks after President Donald Trump’s litigation, expands the claims to include damages for subscribers misled by the recklessly published polling.
The lawsuit focuses on Dr. Selzer’s nationally known November 2024 Iowa Poll, which inaccurately predicted Vice President Kamala Harris leading President Trump by 3 points. Trump ultimately won Iowa by a decisive 13-point margin (56% to 43%). Building on President Trump’s lawsuit, which highlighted harm to his candidacy, this case emphasizes consumer harm and accountability for misleading subscribers, who pay for accurate and trustworthy news.
The lawsuit, which seeks certification as a class action on behalf of all Des Moines Register subscribers, argues that the misleading polling results deceived consumers, distorted public perception, and undermined confidence in the electoral process.
“Polling should inform the public, not mislead them,” said Daniel Suhr, President of the Center for American Rights. “President Trump’s lawsuit rightly calls out the harm of fake news to candidates. This suit highlights the accompanying harm to subscribers—ordinary Americans who rely on trusted sources for honest information but were woefully failed in this case.”
“The Register promised integrity and accuracy but instead delivered the dictionary definition of fake news. The poll wasn’t just wrong—it was flat-out, epically, recklessly wrong. In doing so, they defrauded every subscriber who paid for trustworthy reporting,” Suhr continued.
The Center for American Rights is dedicated to ensuring fairness, transparency, and accuracy in public discourse, and accountability when media institutions fail those standards or break the law. Recent actions include:
Filing FCC and FEC complaints against ABC News for bias during the Harris-Trump debate.
Challenging Sixty Minutes for news distortion during a Vice President Harris interview.
Complaining about electioneering ads by the Washington Post.
Filing equal-time violations against NBC for Vice President Harris’s appearance on Saturday Night Live.