Dems Fight for Fraud with the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’
The provided text discusses concerns over proposed legislation in California, specifically Assembly Bill 2624, which is seen by critics as an effort to hinder investigative journalism and transparency. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, is accused of aiming to silence journalists like Nick Shirley, who has exposed meaningful fraud in various sectors, including Somali-run daycares and other NGOs. Critics argue that the bill could impose financial penalties and legal restrictions that discourage investigations into fraud within California’s numerous charitable organizations and government-related entities. Additionally, another bill introduced by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco seeks to impose fees on record requests, further complicating efforts to scrutinize government actions. Opponents contend these laws threaten the First Amendment rights of journalists and citizens, and they call for the state to support, rather than impede, investigative work to uncover corruption.
Instead of eliminating rampant fraud in California, Democrats are now making an extreme effort to intimidate and silence journalists who attempt to investigate it.
Assembly Bill 2624, authored by California State Assemblymember Mia Bonta — the wife of current California Attorney General Rob Bonta — is facing pushback from those who see the chilling effect it could have.
Critics of the bill are now calling it the “Stop Nick Shirley Act.”
Shirley is the investigative wunderkind who has determinedly exposed fraud such as the Future Leaders Early Learning in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the owner, Fahima Mahamud, being charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Shirley claimed that his investigations have uncovered over $280 million in fraud committed by Somali day care centers.
Bonta introduced the controversial bill only after Shirley uncovered massive amounts of fraud in Minneapolis and said he would do the same in California.
After all, California has over 217,000 registered tax exempt organizations and non-governmental organizations. Many NGOs receive their money from local, state, and national government sources.
Democratic lawmakers are behaving as if no fraud exists in California, but the facts say otherwise. Recent high-profile fraud cases in California include the Los Angeles Homeless Scheme, San Francisco Shelter Misappropriation, and Disaster Relief Divergence.
The bill does not mention Nick Shirley, but given the timing of the bill, it’s obvious the intended target is Shirley and others who may dare to expose rampant fraud.
Democrats have worked to discredit Shirley and have refused to describe him as an investigative journalist.
Bonta has stated that any opposition to her bill is simply “MAGA misinformation.” But she’s wrong. The opposition is coming from those who do not want the First Amendment to be infringed.
This includes journalists and everyday citizens who respect the First Amendment.
Attempts from Bonta to correlate investigative journalism to MAGA have been unsuccessful, and she cannot define what constitutes “intimidation.” Furthermore, Bonta has failed to offer any proof that those who work in immigration-related services are being harassed, doxxed, or threatened.
Bonta asserts in her bill that anti-immigration vigilante threats have risen to “alarming levels in 2025 due to the current federal administration’s anti-immigration attitude and polices.” But the last time I checked, President Trump is anti-illegal immigration, not “anti-immigration” as Bonta claims.
Bonta’s hyperbolic language in her bill attempts to paint a picture of an angry mob with pitchforks looking for the local immigration aide offices.
However, it is Nick Shirley who has been the recipient of death threats and doxxing, insomuch that he been forced to hire a security team.
Tucked deep into Bonta’s bill are the monetary penalties that could be imposed — damages up to a maximum of three times the actual damages and no less than $4,000.
And most recently, California State Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco has introduced a bill which seeks to charge members of the public who make records requests.
These charges include an administrative fee of $22.35 per hour and additional “professional fee” of $66.26 per hour. Furthermore, Pacheco’s bill said that if the government agency feels the records request has “malicious intent,” then that agency can ask the court to intervene.
The pattern is clear between Bonta’s bill and Pacheco’s bill — intimidate journalists and make investigations difficult.
Democrats in California should embrace investigations into NGOs and welcome the much-needed assistance and not pass laws to impede journalism.
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