Nick Shirley teases new Minnesota fraud video
YouTuber Nick Shirley has indicated that he will release a new video about fraud in Minnesota.
On December 26, Shirley released a 42-minute video that quickly went viral, alleging that almost a dozen taxpayer-funded day care centers in Minnesota were not providing any service amid broader concerns about alleged fraud in the state. The video attracted the attention of lawmakers and political figures.
On Monday, Shirley posted an image on X of himself outside one of the centers featured in his video with the caption “part 2 is coming.”
Newsweek contacted Shirley for comment by email outside normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Widespread allegations of fraud in the state have received national attention in recent weeks, leading Democratic Governor Tim Walz to end his reelection bid in the midst of the escalating scandal. The allegations also prompted the Department of Homeland Security to launch the “largest immigration operation ever” in Minneapolis.
High-profile public figures, including Vice President JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk, shared Shirley’s first video on social media, and supporters have called for the YouTuber to receive a Congressional Gold Medal. His next video could garner similar attention.
What To Know
On X, Shirley posted an image of himself outside the day care center at the heart of his first video, the Quality Learning Center. He wrote: “Part 2 is coming… Wednesday at 10AM EST.”
He did not provide further details about the video’s content.
In Shirley’s first video, the center displayed a misspelled sign above an entrance, saying “Quality Learing Center.”
Shirley said the business appeared to be inactive despite being licensed to serve 99 children. The YouTuber said it had received $1.9 million in 2025 and $4 million in total funding from Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Newsweek has not been able to verify Shirley’s claims.
The center said in response to the allegations that there was no fraud taking place, and that the YouTuber had visited outside its regular hours: Monday to Thursday, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Images taken by the New York Post also showed several children entering the center on Monday afternoon. The manager of the site told media publications that the sign would be corrected.
Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice first uncovered welfare fraud in Minnesota in 2022 with the Feeding Our Future nonprofit, which is estimated to have cost taxpayers some $250 million.
Further instances of alleged fraud have since emerged. In December, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said $9 billion or more in federal funds, allocated to 14 state-run programs since 2018, may have been stolen.
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said in a statement on January 5: “Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences.”
The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families previously told Newsweek: “We’re aware of the video circulating online that has raised concerns about several child care centers in Minnesota. We take the concerns raised in this video very seriously. Each of the facilities mentioned in the video has been visited at least once in the last six months as part of our typical licensing process. Our staff are out in the community today to visit each of these sites again so that we can look into the concerns raised in the video.
“We are committed to making sure that every dollar of the Child Care Assistance Program, and other programs, is going where it’s supposed to go and being used as intended. We will not stand for fraud being committed, and if any of the concerns raised in the video are found to be true, we will take every action within our authority to address the issues.”
What Happens Next
Shirley’s video is set to be released on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Eastern time.
President Donald Trump vowed to “get to the bottom” of the alleged fraud in Minnesota during a New Year’s Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
