One Of The Biggest Political Pollsters Has Left The Company That Bears His Last Name Over 'Disagreements'
The company said that it and Scott Rasmussen, who has been a public pollster for nearly two decades, had parted ways in July over "disagreements over company business strategies."
The company said that Rasmussen's polling methodologies, which came under scrutiny during the 2012 election, will live on.
Here's the statement, in part:
The Rasmussen Reports, LLC Board of Directors today confirmed that founder Scott Rasmussen left the company last month. In part, the move reflects disagreements over company business strategies.
Mike Boniello, the company's chief operating officer, will assume a broader leadership role until a replacement for Mr. Rasmussen is named.
The Company emphasized that Mr. Rasmussen's legacy remains intact. His polling methodologies and protocols, widely acknowledged as among the most accurate and reliable in the industry, continue to guide and inform the company’s public opinion survey techniques. In addition, the editorial culture of excellence that he built is still very much in place.
Scott Rasmussen founded Rasmussen Reports, LLC, in 2003. He and the company built up a significant following with daily reports and polls on topics relevant to the news cycle.
Nine days ago, Scott Rasmussen sent out a rather cryptic tweet from the company's official account:
A call to Rasmussen wasn't immediately returned.
Rasmussen came under scrutiny in the 2012 election for its polling, which turned out to be the fourth-least accurate of 28 firms measured. The company's polls frequently had results more favorable to Mitt Romney and other Republican candidates, in what Rasmussen later told Business Insider was a mis-identification of the electorate.
"The Obama campaign made clear all along that they believed the electorate was going to be 28% minority," Rasmussen said after the election. "They were right on the money. They nailed it."