Senate Holds Hearing on Exposing Fraud, Democrats Boycott

YouTubers Nick Shirley and James O'Keefe testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, a hearing the Democrats boycotted and left-wing media didn't cover.

Almost Only Right Coverage: While only one outlet on the left covered the hearing, many outlets on the right were quick to highlight it. Outlets like The Western Journal (Right bias), The Post Millennial (Right), and Fox News (Right), all highlighted the fact that no Democrats attended the hearing, and insinuated based on social media posts mentioned in coverage that the Democratic party is not only unconcerned with Americans being defrauded, but is also complicit.

Left Coverage: The San Francisco Chronicle (Left) mentioned the hearing, saying that Shirley "was promoting his brand" in the hearing, adding that Shirley's repeated posts about fraud were "given without evidence for his claims." 

The Hearing: The focus of the hearing was on "Exposing Fraud in America," and Shirley said that "fraud is so rampant in the United States that I could go to all 50 states and uncover millions of tax dollars being defrauded, wasted and abused." Shirley called on Congress to "take action and help Americans by taking massive action to protect our tax dollars and end the fraud and to always put Americans first." Shirley mentioned California's Medicaid program, saying it "has doubled from $108 billion to $222 billion while enrollment rose by less than 1%," asserting that "the system is filled with fraudsters" and California is "functionally bankrupt."

Reaches Into Elections: Shirley also noted that fraud isn't just about taxpayer dollars but also reaches into the world of elections. For example, he referenced a case in California where "a dog was able to vote in 2 elections and was only caught when the owner turned herself in to prove a point." O'Keefe's testimony also focused on alleged election integrity issues, mentioning his investigative journalism in Los Angeles where he and his journalists recorded 28 exchanges with election circulators offering money or drugs in exchange for ballot signatures. O'Keefe said, "They campaign in this building [the Capitol] about freedom and protecting democracy, preventing disenfranchisement and how nobody is above the law," adding that "if those principles are not enforced when they are violated in broad daylight, they are not principles at all. They are slogans."

Related: The Insight: Is Fraud Getting a Pass? and Media Bias and Minnesota's Somali Healthcare Scandal

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