YouTuber Nick Shirley Reports $170 Million of Alleged Fraud in California

YouTuber Nick Shirley released a 40-minute video detailing $170 million of alleged fraud in California.

The Details: Shirley posted his investigative video on X, calling the fraud "even bigger" than in Minnesota. He reported the fraud is linked to hospice and daycare billings, which he said show no sign of actually caring for patients or children. The California Globe (Center bias) wrote the video presents "several damning highlights" of no operational activity, including nearly 500 hospice agencies within a three-mile radius, including 89 that are reportedly listed under a single address. It also mentioned Shirley's encounters "showed people refusing to answer questions" and "fleeing the scene in luxury vehicles."

Minnesota Fraud: In December, Shirley reported on alleged fraud at several Somali-linked Minnesota daycare facilities, though additional investigations from CBS News (Lean Left) and New York Post (Lean Right) contrasted each other in their findings. CBS reported "all but two" daycares had active licenses and had previously received "dozens of citations", while New York Post quoted a local who said one of the daycares was "typically…a ghost town." Earlier in December, three separate investigations found an estimated $1 billion in public funds had been stolen from Minnesota's safety net programs over the last five years. In 2021, federal law enforcement also charged 92 people, and convicted 62, in a series of multimillion dollar fraud schemes in the state.

From the Right and Center: The story was covered more widely by outlets on the right and by local outlets rated Center. Fox News (Right) interviewed Shirley, who talked about the impact on California taxpayers. It also mentioned a response from California Gov. Gavin Newsom's press office, saying Newsom was "seemingly making a joke out of the whole thing." Another Fox article shared Shirley's response to Newsom saying, "I'm trying to help America eliminate fraud and waste…People are over it." It also highlighted praise for Shirley and both his Minnesota and California investigations.

From the Left: AllSides found coverage only from Mediaite (Lean Left), which emphasized Democrat criticism of how Shirley conducts his investigations and doubts surrounding the Minnesota fraud case. It also highlighted Newsom's office "trolling" Shirley online while seeming to downplay Shirley's credibility as a reporter.

Fox News and California Globe also generally referred to Shirley as an "independent journalist," while Mediaite referred to him as a "YouTuber" and "social media influencer."

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