A Democrat-proposed bill in California could see independent journalists face criminal charges for exposing fraud in the state, a Republican lawmaker is warning.
Republican California state Assemblyman Carl DeMaio blasted the legislation, Assembly Bill 2624 (AB2624), as “The Stop Nick Shirley Act” at a committee hearing this week. The bill, introduced by Democratic California state Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, would shield so-called “immigration service providers” from scrutiny and offer protections such as those given abortion providers in the state. In a statement on the legislation, DeMaio dubbed it the “Stop Nick Shirley Act”, framing it as a Democrat effort to prevent exposing fraud and abuse like purported day care centers run by Somali migrants.
“California Democrats are trying to intimidate citizen watchdog journalists and protect waste and fraud happening in far-Left-wing NGOs. AB 2624 can only be described as the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ — a bill designed to silence citizen journalists exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” DeMaio said in a statement. “Instead of fixing the fraud problems being uncovered, Sacramento politicians are trying to shut down the people exposing them.”
“AB 2624 would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence — even if it captures misconduct in plain view — and threatens journalists with massive financial penalties,” DeMaio continued. “That’s not about public safety — it’s about protecting powerful interests.”
WATCH:
DeMaio confronted Bonta, the wife of Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta, over the legislation during a committee hearing.
“You do not provide an exemption for journalists. You also do not distinguish between whether posting video, like Miss Medo in her investigation posted a video of what, 90 fake hospices and Mr. Shirley had dozens of, you know, 50-60 fake learning centers for the Somali community in Minnesota,” DeMaio said in the clip posted to YouTube. “Posting the video apparently would be punishable under your law.”
The legislation has been referred to the assembly’s Privacy and Consumer Protection, Judiciary and Public Safety committees, according to the California state legislature’s webpage.
Shirley thrust the issue of welfare fraud in Minnesota into the national discussion after he posted a 42-minute video featuring him visiting multiple day care centers run by Somalis. Shirley posted a similar 40-minute video in March portraying his investigation into hospice centers in the Los Angeles area, saying he uncovered at least $170 million in fraud.
In Washington state, citizen journalists began probing Somali-run day care centers in a similar fashion, prompting one state lawmaker to introduce legislation to exempt information about the establishments from public records laws. Whistleblowers in Maine and Ohio have alleged that Somali scammers have engaged in welfare fraud schemes in those states.
Federal officials estimated in December that the amount of suspected fraud in Minnesota’s Medicaid program alone had reached over $9 billion.
“If this bill becomes law, the message is clear to every journalist in California: expose corruption and you will be punished,” DeMaio said in a statement. “AB 2624 is an unconstitutional direct attack on transparency and the First Amendment – and it needs to be defeated.”
California charged David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt with 15 felony counts for engaging in undercover journalism in Planned Parenthood clinics. After a legal fight stretching over a decade, the last charge was dropped April 3.
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