Republican Minnesota Lawmakers Admit They Worked With Nick Shirley to Expose Daycare Fraud

"During an on-camera virtual press conference on Monday, however, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth confirmed her caucus helped point the creator in the direction of where to look. Opening the meeting, Demuth welcomed the attention, placing blame on the Walz administration for failing to act. Fraud needs to end in the state, she said. And if this is what it takes, since there's been inaction by our current governor, then this is where we're at."

"Demuth accused the administration of Governor Tim Walz (D), who she is mounting to challenge in a 2026 gubernatorial race, of having frequently ignored or downplayed the issues at every turn and called for the release of inspection data. Our caucus has been working to expose fraud for years, including working with Nick Shirley and agency whistleblowers to get the information out to the public and to hold the Walz administration accountable, she said,"

Republican lawmakers in Minnesota acknowledged directing independent journalist Nick Shirley and his researcher to federally funded daycare sites tied to Somali-owned centers. A YouTube video of Shirley confronting daycare staff, titled I Investigated Minnesota's Billion Dollar Fraud Scandal, drew millions of views and national attention, including sharing by Vice President JD Vance. House Speaker Lisa Demuth confirmed her caucus helped point the creator toward the sites, blamed the Walz administration for inaction, and called for inspection data. Demuth said the caucus has worked with Shirley and whistleblowers to expose fraud and cited public anger over taxpayer losses. At least one center in the video had appeared in a prior state House hearing.

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