Independent Journalist Who Exposed Minn. Daycare Fraud Teases: ‘More to Come’-
Independent journalist Nick Shirley said Thursday that he plans to release a second installment of his reporting on alleged fraud involving Minnesota child care providers. Shirley’s first report, a 42-minute video published last week, examined day care centers that appeared inactive or closed despite receiving significant public funding.
The video has accumulated more than 134 million views on X, according to platform metrics, and prompted increased scrutiny from federal officials. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services subsequently announced a freeze on child care payments to Minnesota while reviews are conducted.
As the video gained attention, several major news organizations, including CNN, PBS, and The New York Times, dismissed Shirley’s findings as a viral video rather than an investigative report. Journalist Stella Escobedo commented on X that response was “an indictment” on corporate mainstream media, which led Shirley to respond: “Just wait until I post part 2, they are going to go insane.”
Here is Shirley’s initial report:Shirley has publicly criticized several media outlets over their coverage of his reporting.
Shirley took issue with a CBS News reporter whom he said attempted to minimize his findings. PBS described Shirley as a “right-wing influencer” and said he accused Minnesota day care centers of fraud “without proof.” The New York Times characterized his work as a “single viral video,” while NPR featured commentary from a University of Minnesota media law professor who suggested Shirley was promoting a particular narrative.
CNN has also faced criticism online over its coverage. According to Steve Malzberg, a contributing writer for NewsBusters, CNN programs alleged that Shirley had previously shared “anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim videos,” without providing specific examples.
The network’s coverage reached its peak on Tuesday night with a segment on “Anderson Cooper 360.” During this report, correspondent Whitney Wild questioned Shirley about his methods. Wild also mentioned on air that CNN had attempted to contact the daycare centers that Shirley visited, but with little success.
“Only one daycare facility answered and said they are a legitimate business,” Wild told viewers.
The segment faced heavy criticism on social media, with critics accusing CNN of examining Shirley more rigorously than the reported misuse of public funds.
Shirley responded on X, writing, “Mainstream media is more mad at me than they are at the FACT that billions of YOUR dollars are being used for fraudulent business.”
Minnesota officials have disputed the allegations raised in the video. Tikki Brown, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families, said earlier this week that previous inspections of the child care centers highlighted by Shirley did not find evidence of fraud.
Brown added, however, that state regulators are taking the claims seriously and continuing to review the matter.
“We are aware of a video that’s being circulated that has gained local and national attention about childcare centers in Minnesota,” Brown said at a Monday news conference. “While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously.”
A recent increase in the number of federal law enforcement officers operating in Minnesota followed the allegations of widespread fraud involving day care centers run mostly by Somali residents, according to officials familiar with the investigations.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel announced last week that federal operations in Minnesota would be expanded.
The announcements followed the release of Shirley’s video, during which he alleged that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud.
Noem posted on social media that officers were “conducting a massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud.” Patel said the goal was to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”
DoJ Demands Records On Minnesota Same-Day Voter Vouching System-llllllllllllllll
Heightened scrutiny over Minnesota’s sprawling social services fraud case has prompted renewed attention to the state’s election procedures. A report circulated by Scott Presler, founder of Early Vote Action, has raised questions about Minnesota’s same-day voter registration and vouching system.
Under current state law, a registered voter may vouch for the residency of up to eight individuals seeking same-day registration, provided they live in the same voting precinct, Red State reported. Individuals who are vouched for are not permitted to vouch for others.
In addition, an employee of a residential facility may vouch for an unlimited number of residents of that facility.
Both voters and employees who vouch for others are required to swear under oath that the individual being vouched for is a resident of the precinct.
Critics say the process raises concerns about verification and oversight, particularly given the volume of same-day registrations.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has formally requested records from Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon related to the state’s same-day registration and vouching practices.
“This system seems facially inconsistent with the Help America Vote Act of 2002. We’ll see!” Dhillon wrote in a letter to the state.
Dhillon requested records from all federal elections over the past 22 months, including documentation supporting same-day registrations and materials related to the vouching process under Minnesota Statute 201.061, Subdivision 3.
The request covers elections, including the 2024 primary and general election.
Dhillon gave the state 15 days to provide the records to determine compliance with the Help America Vote Act.
Presler praised the move, calling it a significant step toward investigating election integrity concerns.
Federal agencies, including the FBI, the Treasury Department, and the Department of Homeland Security, are already conducting investigations in Minnesota on separate matters.
State officials have defended the election system, arguing that multiple safeguards are in place to prevent abuse.
Not all critics are persuaded by those assurances.
Bill Glahn of the Center for the American Experiment, a Twin Cities-based conservative public policy organization, questioned the effectiveness of those safeguards.
“It’s like murder’s illegal, but it happens all the time,” Glahn said.
“It’s a penalty of perjury,” he added. “You signed an oath, but if you signed as Mickey Mouse, they’re not going to find you.”
Nearly 500 employees in Minnesota’s state government say Gov. Tim Walz ignored repeated internal warnings about large-scale fraud involving state aid programs within the Somali community, and that he retaliated against staff who raised concerns.
The employees, who work within the state Department of Human Services, have for several years operated an anonymous X account outlining what they describe as ongoing cases of fraud and misuse of public funds. The group has previously directed warnings to state leaders and to Minnesota residents about patterns of financial abuse they say they identified in program oversight.
In a new post, the employees alleged that Walz not only failed to act on their alerts but also took punitive measures against staff members who attempted to report the issues through official channels. The governor’s office has not yet responded to the renewed claims.
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“Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota,” the group said in a November 29 post referencing a New York Times article on the crimes. “We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud, but no, we got the opposite response.
“Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports,” they added. “Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation by Tim Walz, certain DFL members, and an indifferent mainstream media. It’s scary, isolating, and left us wondering who we can turn to.”
