NH Pollster Agrees To Surrender Records In Push Polling Controversy

January 17, 2008 9:17 p.m. EST

Concord, NH (AHN) - A pollster in New Hampshire has decided to cooperate with the state's attorney general in connection with allegations that a survey it conducted in November 2007 was biased against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

Moor Information agreed to turn over business records to Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte on Thursday, the same day a court hearing on the case was scheduled, according to the Concord Monitor.

The company was previously subpoenaed by Ayotte after it refused to disclose who had hired it to conduct what were allegedly push polls that violated state law.

The records will be examined during a closed grand jury proceeding in Carroll County. The jury will then decide if charges will be made against the company.

Ayotte disclosed earlier this month that her office had received complaints from the campaigns of Romney and McCain about calls made to New Hampshire voters. The announcement was made four days before the state held its primary, which McCain won and Romney finished in second place.

The telephone poll reportedly had the following questions, according to the Blue Oregon:

"McCain is a decorated navy fighter pilot who spent six years in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. While a prisoner of war, McCain was tortured on a regular basis..."

"Mitt Romney is a member of the Mormon Church. Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible. Mormons claim the Book of Mormon was given to a prophet in the 1800's by the Angel Moroni. On any given day, the Mormon Church is working to baptize thousands of people who have already passed away so they can be converted to Mormonism and join in the Glory of God."

"Based on this, would you agree or disagree with those who say the Mormon Church is a cult religion not in the American tradition? If agree or disagree, and would that be strongly or just somewhat agree or disagree?"

Moore Information has issued a statement, saying that "in 27 years of business, [it] has never, currently does not, nor will it ever engage in push polling," the Portland firm said in the statement.

"In a November 2007 survey of 400 New Hampshire GOP presidential primary election voters, we explored a variety of issues about GOP presidential candidates, " it added. "All of the information we tested in the survey was in the public domain, either in media articles, on Internet blogs or in other campaign related communications."