Conservatives Claim ‘Do You Believe the Polls?’ Group is a ‘False Flag’ PsyOp Run by the Liberals and Doug Ford

As Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives continue to struggle in the polls, some conservatives are turning their attention to perceived enemies within their own party.

Some go so far as to suggest their own supporters may, in fact, be part of an elaborate scheme possibly involving the Liberals, Doug Ford — or perhaps even both — all in a nefarious effort to knock Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre off his game.

Fuelling the paranoia is the recent revelation that Liberal operatives infiltrated a conservative political conference in Ottawa and planted fake evidence to portray their opponents as conspiratorial and prone to in-fighting.

According to CBC News, Liberal Party staffers later bragged at an Ottawa bar that they planted fake buttons invoking January 6 slogans like “Stop the Steal” and messages stoking an internal civil war between factions loyal to two top Conservative strategists who run competing lobbying firms: Jenni Byrne and Kory Teneycke.

The Liberals have since confirmed their campaign engaged in the deceptive tactics. Liberal leader Mark Carney publicly apologized, stating he was “unaware” and had “reassigned” the staffers.

Michael Barrett, an incumbent Conservative candidate in Eastern Ontario, questioned if this was the only “astroturf disinfo campaign” the Liberals are behind?

In a social media post, Barrett shared a photo of two conservative supporters at a Pierre Poilievre rally in Brampton, Ontario last week wearing matching sweaters and holding a giant banner that asks: “Do You Believe The Polls?”

“Carney is hiding again,” Barrett wrote. “Media must demand answers about his team’s role in the banners, sweaters and buttons.”

Michael Barrett (Facebook)

Barrett’s post was shared widely by a number of Conservative riding associations, as well as by Peterborough-area Conservative candidate Michelle Fererri and television pundit Michael Solberg.

Barrett’s campaign did not respond to questions from PressProgress about the candidate’s suggestion that the Liberals are secretly behind the group.

Separately, far-right media personality Ezra Levant, who on occasion guest hosts Alex Jones’ InfoWars, also questioned if the “Do You Believe The Polls?” group were “actual Conservatives” or “Mark Carney dirty tricksters?”

Ezra Levant (X, the Everything App)

The way in which the “Do You Believe The Polls?” group sprung up overnight with banners, sweaters, hats, a website and flashy social media content has no doubt contributed to the paranoid speculation.

The group initially identified themselves as ordinary Poilievre supporters who simply could not understand why polls show Poilievre is losing when his crowd sizes are so big — though the group’s leaders refused to identify themselves.

“It doesn’t make sense,” one group member, who would only identify himself as “Paul,” told CBC News. “They’re trying to skew people’s votes … how do we know those polls aren’t biased?”

The group’s social media accounts include a series of videos featuring an unnamed influencer speaking to people on the street in different cities around Canada. One video shows the man standing on a soapbox outside the Bell Centre with a “Do You Believe The Polls?” sign ranting at Montréal Canadiens fans.

PressProgress identified the influencer as Rob Pagetto, a former YTV game show host and the former on-court announcer at the NBA’s Toronto Raptors’ home games.

Pagetto told PressProgress the content does not reflect his personal political views and instead characterized it as a kind of paid performance. Pagetto said he was “hired” for the job by Paul Micucci, whom he identified as the group’s leader.

“I’m non-partisan,” Pagetto clarified. “I’m just a radio-TV personality who was hired to accentuate the activation of the polls.”

“We’re simply asking people ‘do they believe the polls?’ We’re not asking any particular people or anybody who’s part of a certain party or certain belief, it’s just a simple question: ‘Do you believe in the polls?'”

Do You Believe The Polls? (Instagram)

Paul Micucci, along with his spouse Shara Micucci, owns a casino in Mississauga called the “Rama Gaming House.” They also run a local business group called the Meadowvale Business Association.

Despite suggestions they are part of a Liberal astroturf disinformation campaign, both Paul and Shara Micucci are big donors to Doug Ford’s Ontario PCs, donating a combined $15,000 over the last half decade.

Micucci did not respond to several requests for comment from PressProgress.

According to The Trillium, Peter McCallion, son of the late Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, identified the Meadowvale Business Association as being behind the polling truther group.

Shara Micucci, who is also a realtor and a former Nepalese television personality, denies the business association she founded is involved with any polling group.

“Peter has the wrong information,” Micucci told PressProgress. “Meadowvale Business Association has nothing to do with it.”

Asked to verify that the photo of two “Do You Believe The Polls?” members holding a banner at Poilievre’s rally were of her and her husband, Shara Micucci said she was “not sure about that” and abruptly hung up the phone.

The Micuccis did not respond to several follow-up emails.

Shara Micucci (LinkedIn)

The Micuccis’ friendly ties with Doug Ford have led some conservative influencers and thousands of conservative supporters online to speculate Ford may also have some involvement in the group, a supposed attempt to slew-foot Poilievre.

The Pleb, a YouTuber who has built up a persona as Poilievre’s personal cheerleader and enjoys significant access from the Conservative campaign, explicitly accused the Micuccis of being undercover “plants” sent by Doug Ford and Kory Teneycke.

“Doug Ford and his advisor Kory busted sending plants to discredit Pierre Poilievre’s rallies,” The Pleb wrote. “Doug Ford is intentionally trying to derail Pierre Poilievre.”

“This move is straight out of the Liberal playbook,” The Pleb continued. “Doug Ford is a Liberal traitor. We will never forget this backstabbing.”

The Pleb (X, The Everything App)

The Pleb provided no evidence to substantiate his allegations beyond a photo of the Micuccis and Ford at a glitzy Ontario PC event, however, the allegations have now spread widely in conservative circles.

After 24 hours, The Pleb’s tweet suggesting Doug Ford is a “Liberal traitor” has been retweeted nearly 3,000 times and racked up close to half-a-million views.

The allegations were also amplified by other conservative social media personalities and accounts, some of whom insisted Doug Ford should face “criminal charges” for “planting false flags inside Poilievre’s campaign rallies.”

Kat Kanada, Dean Skoreyko (X, the Everything App)

Despite claiming the group’s message is designed to discredit Poilievre, The Pleb himself posted a photo of the group and expressed support for their message only days earlier.

“Pierre Poilievre supporters do not believe the polls,” The Pleb told his followers on April 9. “We believe the crowds.”

The Pleb (X, The Everything App)