Nick Shirley's daycare fraud claims debunked by local news station, with timestamped security video disproving

[Celerity]

the accusations. The viral video has caused nonstop harassment of Somalian daycare owners.

Irresponsible journalism is not journalism.

[DinahMoeHum]

1. Heh heh. Just as I suspected.

This whole thing had all the flavor of a James O'Keefe/Project Veritas operation.

[Mr. Evil]

15. My thoughts exactly.

If republicans aren't lying, cheating and stealing, well... then I guess they aren't republicans.

[Clouds Passing]

36. Same MO

[Initech]

48. He's totally going to go full Kony 2012 in the near future.

Overnight celebrity who can't handle the pressure... we've seen how this ends.

[Torchlight]

55. Sounds serious

Good luck

[MarineCombatEngineer]

60. Dammit, missed it again.

[MustLoveBeagles]

61. I'm curious too

🤨

[mwmisses4289]

2. I haven't been following this story to closely,

but I understand this idgit, who is a single man with no children, walked into a daycare and... what? expected to be able to film staff and children with no warning? Since the 1980s, most daycares that I know of require an appointment for something like that, so that parents can opt to keep their kids out the daycare on that day. Also, a member of the front office would tag along.
After some kidnappings from daycares (usually due to really nasty custody battles), daycares required a list to be kept on file of who is allowed to pick up the child/ren. Only those people were allowed to pick up the child, and were often required to show i.d.

[JHB]

13. Worse, he had an entoruage who were wearing masks

They looked like an ICE raid, so the front door stayed locked. They weren't even allowed inside.

[dalton99a]

14. +1. Most day cares don't let random people open the door or watch the children through the window

[rsdsharp]

39. A the day care my grandkids went to, if you didn't have the door code, you didn't get in.

Period.

[NHvet]

19. You are correct.

Even our local public schools require you show ID and wait outside locked doors before gaining access to the building. Our GKs after school car pick up line requires every one picking up a child to be a list prior to pickup and here again an ID may be asked for before they hand over the kid(s).

[Seinan Sensei]

23. And you cannot take a picture of a child

without express written consent of parent or guardian

[MarineCombatEngineer]

25. Umm, that is 100% incorrect, if they're in public one can take a picture of a child, no written consent needed,

it's not right, it's suspicious, but not illegal and even if someone is in a building but can be seen from a public place, then it's perfectly legal to take pictures or video, the eyes can't be trespassed.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

46. You should probably delete this false information,

there is no law anywhere in the US that forbids anyone filming children in public nor if they can be seen from a public area.
Jus' sayin'.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

62. So, after given ample opportunity to delete this false information, you chose not to do so

thereby promoting this nonsense?

I challenge you to show DU where in the US that one has to obtain "express written consent of parent or guardian" to film children in public or anywhere one can be seen from a public space.

We'll wait.

Yes, it's weird, it's creepy, it'll probably get the cops called, but there is no law against it and even if the cops make contact with the photographer, they don't even have to ID nor explain themselves, it's called the 1st Amendment to the Constitution, something you might want to refresh yourself on.

[Seinan Sensei]

63. The video I watched appeared to show Nick Shirley wanting to go inside a day-care center with a camera

That’s a no-no
Locked doors, private space, restricted area
If, on the other hand, kids are playing in a public park, then, yes, one can take pictures.
“The eyes cannot be trespassed” (your words) is a good way to put it.
Take a deep breath MCE.
It’s all good.

[Johonny]

34. Due to school shooting

Most school around here of any kind have security. You don't walk in at all to most day cares.

[marble falls]

3. Nick Shirley, the next Chalkie Birk. The clock is ticking down on your 15 minute time clock, Rick.

[Orrex]

4. Perhaps he'll visit a college in Utah.

[marble falls]

6. Irrelevance alone works for me. I'd like hear he's reduced to a part time service grind for a career.

[orangecrush]

31. NEEDS HIS BACKGROUND INVESTIGATED

Something stinks here.

[marble falls]

32. He's is getting a serious looking at as we write about this feckless (he doesn't give a feck about anyone) bastard.

[orangecrush]

33. Just read in Hindustan Times he did a mission

In Chile with the LDS.

I read that CIA has a history of recruiting Mormons who have done missions in such places as they have an interest in.

These people are naturals, as they already are familiar with the language and culture.


https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/how-old-is-nick-shirley-and-where-is-he-from-5-things-to-know-about-the-youtuber-who-exposed-minnesota-daycare-fraud-101767043681903.html

[marble falls]

35. And they take "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" very seriously.

[Celerity]

43. Just a heads up.... Hindustan Times is a really shit source, often pushes fake news

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/hindustan-times/

[orangecrush]

52. Thanks

Sometimes you have to shovel a lot of horse shit to find the pony.

[mdbl]

5. The MSM has been acting like the Dump administration has a basis for all this harrassment.

At least the crap I've been seeing.

[ToxMarz]

7. This is their new 'They're eating the dogs' meme

As Vance said "If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do."

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Debunked, deshmunked, ...

... he made his points on his podcast, and achieved a goal of stopping or slowing funding for facilities where non-white children may be cared for.
As long as he can cause hardship, he's winning.

[orangecrush]

30. This

Love to see this assclown deep background checked.

[Doodley]

9. It isn't "irresponsible journalism." It's gaslighting. It's clickbaiting. It's race-baiting.

Amplified by the likes of Elon Musk to promote a fascist agenda.

[orangecrush]

29. Beat me to it.

[IronLionZion]

10. This sounds a lot like last year's eating cats and dogs

and before that there was Qanon and Pizzagate and other complete BS conspiracies.



Of course MAGA will use any excuse to cut all funding to a blue state's childcare programs.

[malaise]

11. Oh my!

Rec

Happy New Year sis😀

[OldBoss]

12. Wow WCCO! ...

So glad to see. Tho it won’t change maga minds. Maga is always innocent until proven guilty, and continues to proclaim innocence after they’ve been convicted, sometimes repeatedly. But anyone else - not so much.

I made the huge mistake of watching about four minutes of the Shirley video on the YouTube app on my iPad. I was not logged in. YouTube immediately flooded its suggestions with horribly awful racist rwnj videos of comedians I never heard of denigrating Somalis and immigrants, Erika Kirk and other Toilet Paper USA stuff, open carry and stand your ground bullshit, and gold and precious metals content. Fucking crazy! I had to wipe my search and watch history to restore normalcy but it’ll take time to get back to the dog, cat, and other warm and fun content we enjoy. But once again proves how social media poisons minds and floods folks with toxic garbage. Shame on me for not watching that on Brave or DuckDuckGo instead.

[dflprincess]

45. Gives me hope that, at least for now, WCCO isn't bending to the will of its corporate overlords at CBS nt

[JI7]

16. The only "proof" he had was they didn't let some random incel in

so it must all be fake.

[maxrandb]

17. Is there a link that doesn't take me to that Musk cesspool?

Asking for my soul.

[chowder66]

22. I just went to the news stations website...link below

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-day-care-fraud-director-responds/

The video is embedded to the right. Have to wait for the ads to play before it starts.

[maxrandb]

28. Thanks! I already took a shower today, if I went to "X"-crement, I'd need another

[Mr.Bee]

18. I'm Not Surprized

Sounded Like Another Project Veritas!
MAGAs don't need truth!

[surfered]

20. Also CBS on X

CBS News
@CBSNews
A recent video by conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley alleged nearly a dozen day care centers in Minnesota that are receiving public funds are not actually providing any service. After the video went viral, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced a "massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud" in the state.

CBS News conducted its own analysis of nearly a dozen day care centers mentioned by Shirley: all but two have active licenses, according to state records, and all active locations were visited by state regulators within the last six months. CBS News' review also found dozens of citations related to safety, cleanliness, equipment, and staff training, among other violations, but there was no recorded evidence of fraud.

10:31 AM · Dec 30, 2025
·
6.3M
Views

[NCDem47]

21. The horses have left the barn.

It won't matter now. Somalis will be the 2026 GOP boogeyman. They also want to draaaaaaaag Minnesota down too and sully Waltz. It will be all RW media talks about. Outrage du jour. "WE HAVE PROOF!!"

[mzmolly]

24. Unfortunately so.

"Low information voters" don't concern themselves with truth.

[Thomas Hurt]

26. They should sue him for defamation.

[dalton99a]

37. +1

[orangecrush]

27. It's not "irresponsible journalism"

Any more than ICE is "irresponsible policing".


It's sickening weaponized propaganda.

I'd love to see a deep background investigation of this character published.

[kimbutgar]

38. Abc evening news covered this story last night

And also debunked Shirley’s made up bs.

[Hassler]

41. Don't Call Me Shirley is a graduate

Of the James O'Keefe school of fraudulent journalism.

[Initech]

42. Nick Shirley is a total fucking idiot.

And this was just an exercise to rile up racist conspiracy theorists, that's all.

[Doodles]

44. The bad is working.

“Friends” who know usually not to talk to us about this crap are all into this one. Fox and all must really be hitting this one hard.

[Liberal In Texas]

47. I wonder who's funding this Shirley guy.

He's 23 and says he doesn't represent any organization, news or otherwise. He doesn't appear to actually have a job other than walking around trying to walk into daycare centers and harassing the people working there.

[JI7]

58. They just need to get enough attention for racists to donate

[IbogaProject]

49. This is why we assume Innocent until Proven Guilty in a Court of Law

Or if in a civil action the plaintiff provides more credible evidence than the defendants as that standard is the preponderance of evidence, which their crappy videos can't rise to.

[debsy]

50. The 2025 video is accompanied by no evidence.

This is according to these sources:

https://highdesertnewsonline.com/minnesota-daycare-fraud-debunking-viral-claims-fox-9-investigation/]

https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/12/30/nick-shirley-minnesota-daycare-fraud/]

There was a Fox News (I hate using the term “news” when applying it to that company) investigation done in 2018 that was backed up by evidence at the time and is reportedly being conflated into the 2025 Shirley video. Tim Walz didn’t take office until 2019. A republican was governor of Minnesota in 2018. The Shirley video that shoes no children in the facility at midday is totally expected because their function is for after school daycare from 2 to 10 PM.

Of course, we will never get MAGAts to believe anything other than what they are told by their cult propaganda team.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

51. I wouldn't even call it journalism.

Tripe is a better term.

[WiVoter]

53. I'd Love To See Him & Adam Mockler Debate

Mockler would kick his ass.

[JI7]

59. It would be very uneven. People like this trash shouldn't

even be given a platform like that.