Gannett is investigating possible leak of bombshell Iowa poll

Gannett, the publishing chain that owns the Des Moines Register, has launched an investigation into the apparent leak of Ann Selzer’s bombshell Iowa poll, two people familiar with the matter confirmed to Semafor.

Selzer’s Iowa poll was released publicly by The Des Moines Register/Mediacom on the evening of November 2nd. It made national headlines and raised false hopes among Democrats because it showed Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by three points in the state. (In the end, Trump won Iowa by 13 points.)

But about 45 minutes before the poll was released, a stray tweet predicted the poll’s results. The author said that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Duke University graduate, mentioned the yet-to-be-released poll during a meeting of Duke Democrats that day. (A spokesman for Pritzker did not respond to an inquiry about the apparent leak.)

The Des Moines Register is legendarily cautious about Selzer’s polls, which shape perceptions of crucial early caucuses in both parties, although it now also coordinates with Gannett flagship USA Today on high-profile national news stories.

Now Gannett is investigating how Pritzker and possibly other political players learned about the poll early on and is reviewing employees’ emails, one of the sources said.

A Gannett spokesman declined to comment on “internal matters.”