CNN’s Whitney Wild had a chance to question YouTuber Nick Shirley after he posted a viral video in which he claimed to find widespread fraud at Somali-run childcare centers. CNN is looking into Shirley’s claims and has not independently verified the accusations. “We reached out to several of the daycares featured in the now viral video. Only one daycare facility answered and said they are a legitimate business,” Wild reported.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Our top story is in Minnesota, where the Trump administration says it is now withholding all federal child care funding to the entire state. The agency says the state receives $ 185 million for 19,000 children. And now that money will be gone. And the agency did not specify any alternate plans for families who will be affected. DHS and the FBI said they were surging resources to Minnesota to investigate what they called suspected fraud sites. This all comes in response to a viral video posted by a MAGA content creator. He claims that he uncovered widespread fraud by Somali run child care centers in the state. CNN is looking into those claims and has not independently verified the accusations. But the deputy secretary of health and human services is taking the allegations at face value. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JIM O’NEILL, DEPUTY SECRETARY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Intrepid journalists have made shocking and credible allegations of extensive fraud in Minnesota’s child care programs. We believe the state of Minnesota has allowed scammers and fake daycares to siphon millions of taxpayer dollars over the past decade. Starting today, we require a justification, receipt or photo evidence before we make a payment. (END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: However, those so-called evidence comes from a man who has posted anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant content in the past. CNN’s Whitney Wild speaks to the man behind that video and takes a look at his claims. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: We’re from CNN. Can we talk to you? WILD (voice-over): This is MAGA YouTuber Nick Shirley. Back at a daycare in Minnesota, he alleged was a fraudulent facility in a now viral video. NICK SHIRLEY, YOUTUBER WHO MADE VIRAL MINNESOTA VIDEO: If you are going to say this is a left or right issue, but no fraud is fraud over here. I’m not out here trying to put a twist on things. WILD (voice-over): Shirley’s viral video, released over the weekend, in which he says he’s uncovering tens of millions of dollars in fraud at Minneapolis daycares run by the Somali community, was retweeted by Elon Musk and Vice President J.D. Vance. In the video, Shirley tries to open locked doors and talk to people at various daycares he claims are frauds. WILD: Did you come during normal operating hours when you came to visit? SHIRLEY: I came at 11:00 a.m., I believe, and I also came the following day, later in the day. The point of it is not whether or not I came at the right, at the right time of their operation hours. The point is that blacked out doors, they can’t give you any information. You call that number. No one answers. I wasn’t trying to go inside. If they — there should be a way for somebody to actually call number and somebody be able to answer. These aren’t real businesses. WILD: But surely, you don’t think a daycare should just be unlocked. You shouldn’t be able to just walk into a daycare. SHIRLEY: Reception WILD: No, every daycare is locked. REPORTER: Their doors are locked. SHIRLEY: And so — okay, you bring up a fair point, then why can’t they actually give me information how to enroll a child? WILD (voice-over): Federal law enforcement has been investigating fraud in Minnesota for several years. Both Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media they’ve indicted dozens of defendants. DHS has posted multiple videos of agents they say are conducting a massive fraud investigation. WILD: Do you think that federal law enforcement hasn’t done enough? I mean, they would say, look, these fraud cases have been going on, but they’ve already done like 80 indictments. The cases have been going on, you know, for years. SHIRLEY: Why did I show up one day, Minnesota, and go to all these daycares? No children. They’re receiving millions of dollars. We uncovered nearly $ 100 million — $ 110 million in fraud in one day. WILD: How do you know that all the allegations that you’re making are true? SHIRLEY: How do I know that they’re true? Well, we showed you guys the — we showed you guys what was happening, and then you guys can go ahead and make your own analysis. WILD: We’re coming — so we can make our own analysis. Are you 100 percent sure you’re true? SHIRLEY: Yeah, I am 100 percent sure I’m true. WILD (voice-over): CNN is looking into Shirley’s claims. WILD: Hi, my name is Whitney Wild. I’m a correspondent for CNN. WILD (voice-over): We reached out to several of the daycares featured in the now viral video. Only one daycare facility answered and said they are a legitimate business. WILD: Have you seen the videos? You know, purporting that some of these daycares don’t have kids inside? WILD (voice-over): Minnesota Republicans say despite the new focus from the Trump administration, they have been sounding the alarm on fraud for years. LISA DEMUTH, REPUBLICAN MINNESOTA HOUSE SPEAKER & GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: You know, we have talked about fraud. We have gotten stories. We have — we’ve tried to push this forward every way that we can. WILD (voice-over): At the daycare where Shirley showed back up, a stream of children walk inside. WILD: You’re saying that this is a fraudulent daycare? Theres kids being dropped off right now. SHIRLEY: Yes. The commissioner of children literally said a week ago this place was closed. They’re showing face right now. WILD (voice-over): A viral video, disputed claims, and their full fallout remains to be seen. WILD: Dozens of fraud cases that DOJ is touting began during the Biden administration back in 2022. The U.S. attorney’s office for Minnesota announced 47 indictments for this massive fraud scheme. Since then, they’ve indicted more than 30 more people, and in total, they have secured at least 56 convictions. Whitney Wild, CNN, Minneapolis.

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