Nick Shirley reveals how trip to Minnesota turned into viral reporting on alleged daycare fraud
Viral footage of empty daycare buildings appeared to blow the lid off a long-simmering childcare fraud scandal in Minnesota, but independent journalist and YouTuber Nick Shirley's findings may have only pointed to one strand of a much more intricate web of fraud.
The story began when Shirley traveled to Minnesota to report on demographic changes in the state, only to stumble upon something far bigger.
"We went to Minnesota to make a video on what was happening with the demographic change and the rise of Islam," Shirley said in the new Fox Nation special, "Minnesota: Web of Fraud."
"While we were there, [local residents] started telling us about the fraud."
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The Fox Nation special follows Shirley as he discusses his findings, uncovering how alleged childcare fraud may be just one symptom of a much broader system of abuse involving public funds.
Through interviews with local residents, firsthand footage and commentary from FOX talent, the special traces how what began as tips about empty daycare buildings led to wider discussions about oversight, accountability and where taxpayer money is really going.
"This is what really made the difference," said Tomi Lahren, co-host of "The Big Weekend Show" on the Fox News Channel.
"Just [Shirley] simply saying, 'It might take me a while, but we're going to uncover something big,' and boy did he."
At the end of the day, Shirley said he was simply a reporter asking questions — someone who wanted to provide coverage for the millions of people who watch his videos.
But as the footage went viral and scrutiny over broader alleged fraud intensified, Shirley’s reporting thrust him, and the unanswered questions he uncovered, into the national spotlight.
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Minnesota state officials and Ibrahim Ali, manager of the Quality Learning Center at the center of fraud allegations, pushed back against Shirley's claims in consequence — with state regulators stressing that daycare facilities featured in the video had undergone routine, unannounced inspections in recent months with no evidence of fraud.
Ali, meanwhile, argued Shirley had filmed the location outside regular operating hours and called the allegations "false information."
Despite the pushback, the controversy has fueled debate in Minnesota over oversight of taxpayer-funded programs and the state’s handling of fraud allegations more broadly, issues that have taken on added significance as political leaders face increased scrutiny and major decisions about the state’s future leadership are made.
"Minnesota: Web of Fraud" places Shirley’s reporting within that larger context, examining how questions raised by his viral video intersect with broader concerns about accountability, transparency and the political fallout now unfolding in the state.
As Minnesota grapples with high-profile federal investigations, shifting political dynamics and calls for reform, the Fox Nation special offers an inside look at the reporting that helped bring those questions to the forefront.
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"Minnesota: Web of Fraud" is streaming now on Fox Nation.