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By Jordan King
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Conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley is poised to receive the Congressional Gold Medal under a new bill introduced by Republican Representative Eli Crane of Arizona.
The legislation seeks to recognize Shirley’s role in exposing large-scale social services fraud in Minnesota, which rocked state politics and ultimately led to Governor Tim Walz exiting the reelection race.
Newsweek reached out to Shirley via direct message on social media for comment.
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Why It Matters
Minnesota state officials have faced a wave of escalating fraud allegations. The Department of Justice, under Merrick Garland, first uncovered welfare fraud in the state in 2022 with the "Feeding Our Future" scheme, which is estimated to have cost taxpayers around $250 million. To date, 57 defendants have been convicted and 78 others charged, according to the Associated Press.
Since then, additional potential fraud cases have come to light. In mid-December, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson stated that more than $9 billion in federal funds, distributed across 14 state-run programs since 2018, could have been misappropriated. Most of those charged are of East African descent, believed to be part of Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community, the largest in the nation.
On December 26, Shirley posted a video on social media outlining the fraud scandal, which quickly went viral, garnering more than 111 million views in less than three days.
What To Know
On Tuesday night, Crane posted on X: “In honor of his exemplary work, I’m proud to introduce this bill to award Nick Shirley the Congressional Gold Medal. Nick Shirley is a fearless citizen journalist who stood up to a corrupt system and exposed waste, fraud, and abuse being perpetrated against the American people.”
“His efforts to shed light on this historic scandal have resulted in seismic shifts to our political landscape virtually overnight,” Crane said. “It is a testament to the power of the average American over the legacy media, and a vindication of the mission that DOGE has sought to implement.”
Shirley replied in a comment: “This would be cool, thank you!”
The Congressional Gold Medal, established in 1776, is awarded for “distinguished achievements and contributions.” Previous recipients include George Washington, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Shirley Chisholm.
Shirley gained national attention after publishing a viral video alleging widespread misuse of childcare funds in Minnesota’s social services programs. The video showed Shirley and an associate visiting multiple day care centers that allegedly received state funds despite providing limited or no services.
The exposé was shared by prominent figures, including Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk, and was cited by federal officials investigating fraud.
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Monday that he would end his bid for a third term. He framed the decision as a move to “step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work,” arguing he couldn’t devote full attention to both campaigning and confronting fraud in state programs.
“I ENDED TIM WALZ,” Shirley responded in a post on X, seemingly taking credit for Walz's decision.
Walz also spoke out about how anti-Somali rhetoric in Minnesota has intensified in the political storm.
In his statement, Walz blasted “conspiracy theorist right-wing YouTubers” and “the President of the United States demonizing our Somali neighbors,” calling such attacks “disgusting” and “dangerous.”
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said on Monday: “Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences.”
President Donald Trump said of the Somali community during a December 2 Cabinet meeting: “They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country. We can go one way or the other, and we’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country."
What Happens Next
The Congressional Gold Medal bill for Shirley is now under consideration in the House.
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