"Nick Shirley, a 23-year-old self-described "independent YouTube journalist," posted the 42-minute video on X and YouTube the day after Christmas. In it, he and an older man identified only as "David" visit various seemingly-empty daycare centers, bombarding Somali employees with questions and accusing them of not providing services to any children despite receiving public funds. The pair claim to have exposed over $110,000 in fraud."
"In one high-profile example, more than 90 individuals have been charged since 2022 in the ongoing case of a Minnesota nonprofit that prosecutors say misappropriated some $250 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds intended to feed children in need, calling it "the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the country." And a federal prosecutor said earlier this month that half or more of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been stolen."
"The manager of one Minnesota daycare center has since said Shirley visited outside of its regular hours, while a CNN camera crew interviewing Shirley outside a different center filmed caregivers dropping off their kids in the background (he dismissed them as "showing face"). "How do I know that [the allegations are] true?" Shirley responded when asked. "Well, we showed you guys what was happening, and then you guys can go ahead and make your own analysis.""
The Trump administration froze child care funding to Minnesota following a viral video alleging fraud at federally funded daycare centers. The video, posted by 23-year-old Nick Shirley, shows visits to apparently empty centers and accuses Somali employees of not providing services despite receiving public funds, claiming over $110,000 in fraud. Minnesota has long faced federal investigations into social services fraud, including charges against more than 90 people over an alleged $250 million misappropriation and a prosecutor's statement that a large share of roughly $18 billion may have been stolen. Shirley’s claims remain unverified, and some sites say visits occurred outside regular hours while others filmed normal drop-offs. Prominent conservatives amplified the allegations despite limited evidence.
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