Nick Shirley has a new target
By Easton Martin | February 5, 2026
Independent journalist Nick Shirley, fresh off a viral investigation that sparked a federal funding freeze in Minnesota, has touched down in San Diego to expose what he says is a massive “ghost” daycare scheme in the Golden State.
Shirley, whose previous reporting alleged over $100 million in fraud within Minnesota’s Somali-run daycare centers, is now turning his attention on California. In a tense confrontation captured on video this week, Shirley visited a San Diego facility that claimed to have 14 children enrolled.
However, the premises appeared virtually empty. When pressed on the whereabouts of the children, a woman at the facility deflected, shouting, “It’s Nick Shirley in our state, guys! Look!” rather than answering the simple question: Where are the children?
Shirley has publicly testified that fraud in California could dwarf the scandal in Minnesota, citing billions in unaccounted state spending on homelessness and social programs. With the Trump administration already demonstrating a willingness to freeze federal funds based on Shirley’s findings in the Midwest, this new California probe could have consequences for state funding.
As Shirley continues his ground-level investigation, the question remains: Are California taxpayers footing the bill for phantom children, just as they did in Minnesota? If Shirley’s track record is any indication, we are about to find out.
