Mind-Blowing Childcare Fraud Scandal Exposed in Minnesota Communities

Brooke Shirley revealed on Monday that what she witnessed while assisting her son, independent journalist Nick Shirley, during investigations into alleged fraud at Minnesota childcare centers was “mind blowing.”

Shirley, herself an independent journalist, described scenes on “Rob Schmitt Tonight” that she said no parent would ever accept and questioned how such operations could continue unchecked for years.

She reflected on the reporting trip that led to her son’s viral video exposing what they allege is widespread fraud tied to government-funded childcare centers in Minnesota’s Somali community.

“What we uncovered in just a few hours was mind blowing,” Shirley stated.

Nick Shirley’s investigation has drawn massive attention online, surpassing 1.7 million views on YouTube and more than 121 million views on social media platforms as of Monday night. However, Shirley emphasized that the viral footage only captures a fraction of what they observed during days of on-the-ground reporting.

“They are everywhere,” she said when asked about the number of childcare centers they encountered.

Shirley explained that her family initially traveled to Minnesota in June for a separate story focused on demographic changes and the growth of the Somali population. While there, they were repeatedly contacted by residents who alleged abuse of childcare assistance programs.

“So many people reached out to us and started telling us about the fraud,” Shirley said. “We realized this was a whole different story.”

She described a local resident featured in the video, identified as David, who has spent years documenting what he believed were suspicious operations, tracking reported revenues and comparing them with visible activity.

“He’s been dedicating like the past five years of his life to this,” Shirley said. “He’s been to lawmakers. He’s been to the [state] Capitol. He’s been to Gov. [Tim] Walz’s office. Nobody listens to him.”

What struck Shirley most, she said, were the physical conditions of the facilities.

“There’s snow on the ground, there’s no footprints,” she stated. “There’s no playgrounds. There’s no cars in the parking lot. All of the windows are covered up.”

Speaking as a mother, Shirley said she could not imagine entrusting a child to such a place.

“I’m a mom. Would I ever in my life send my child to day care like that where you can’t even see in?” she asked.

Host Rob Schmitt suggested that such conditions could not have gone unnoticed in local communities, an assessment Shirley agreed with.

“People know,” she said. “If you live here, people know.”

Shirley noted the video resonated because it came from independent journalists rather than politicians or government officials.

“It’s not a politician saying it,” Shirley added. “It’s someone from the outside showing what’s going on.”

The public reaction has reached national figures. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the Department of Justice has been investigating the fraud allegations “for months,” charging 98 individuals — 85 of Somali descent — and finding over 60 guilty.

FBI Director Kash Patel also commented Monday, writing that “even before the public conversation escalated online, the FBI had surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”

Shirley said the situation has fueled public frustration over government accountability.

“It’s taxpayers,” she explained. “Every one of us work hard every day to make a living and we pay taxes. And where’s it going?”