‘Unconstitutional Stop Nick Shirley Act’ Pushed by California Democrats

SCOOP: Trump and Johnson to Discuss Midterms at White House Following Record Fundraising Haul

Miss America Changes Eligibility Rules to Clarify Transgender Stance Following Florida AG Letter

Remembering the Faith of Lincoln on the Anniversary of His Death

Transparency Watch: Atlanta Puts a Hefty Price Tag on Muslim Activists’ Pay Records

Republicans Indicate Bipartisan Amnesty Bill Dead on Arrival

EXCLUSIVE: Randy Fine Joins House Freedom Caucus

EXCLUSIVE: ICE Announces Arrests of Several Violent Criminals and Sex Offenders

 LawPoliticsSocietyNews

Heritage Panel: CCP is Murdering Citizens for Organs and Profiting by the Billions

How China Dominates the World’s Critical Minerals Production

Reclaiming the Lunar High Ground

The Space Race Is Back: NASA Prepares for Liftoff of Deep Space Exploration Crew

SCOOP: Trump and Johnson to Discuss Midterms at White House Following Record Fundraising Haul

Sex Scandals End 2 Congressional Careers in 1 Day

Gabbard Exposes Congressional Plot to Impeach Trump

4 Senate Race Predictions Shift in Political Forecast

Ruling Allows Fulton County to Block Republican Election Board Nominees 

Spanberger Is ‘Taking Credit’ for Youngkin’s Economic Deals

Trump’s Election Integrity Order Faces Wave of Lawsuits Before Dem-Appointed Judges

Democrats Sue to Stop Trump’s Latest Election Integrity Effort

Trump Bullish on Iran Deal, but Uncertainty Remains

Where Do Dem Presidential Favorites Stand on Israel?

 PoliticsSecurityNews

Trump Claims Gold Star Families Told Him to ‘Finish the Job’ in Iran

Citing ‘Echo Chamber’ on Iran, Trump Counterterrorism Chief Resigns

Conservative and Proud: Is the Right Representing Women? 

Girl Boss vs. Trad Wife: Forced to Choose?

Beyond the Oyster Fork: An Etiquette Expert’s Tips for ‘Relationships, Work, and Life’

Is the Iran Operation ‘America First’?

Democrats’ Jungle Primary Boomerang Hits Swalwell Hard

Victor Davis Hanson: Why Trump Grew Frustrated With Pam Bondi

International Commentary

‘We’ll Be Your Canada’: Brutal Reality Check for NATO Free Riders

If Donald Trump Did What Obama Did, Media Would Cheer—So Why the Outrage Now?

‘Unconstitutional Stop Nick Shirley Act’ Pushed by California Democrats

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks about the “Election Rigging Response Act” at a press conference at the Democracy Center, Japanese American National Museum on August 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Pedro Boccalato Rodriguez-Aparicio is a journalism fellow at The Daily Signal. Send an email to Pedro.

After independent journalist Nick Shirley sparked a national news cycle in January over alleged state-administered fraud, California lawmakers have moved to restrict the activities of independent journalists who question government spending, according to state officials.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Signal, California state Assemblyman David Tangipa said the California Legislature is advancing what he described as “unconstitutional legislation” that would limit the release of video recordings by independent journalists who investigate taxpayer-funded programs.

Assembly Bill 2646 was introduced in February by California state Assemblywoman Mia Bonta following the viral success of a Nick Shirley video questioning potential healthcare and daycare fraud. That video amassed more than 149 million views on X.

“Ask yourself this—why are Democrats trying to protect people who are being questioned about state administrators and NGOs over their funding and what that funding actually achieves?” Tangipa told The Daily Signal. “Why is the government alleging that those who question how funds are being used are harassing people?”

In the video, Shirley is seen directly questioning daycare and healthcare administrators, some of whom accused him of racism and harassment while attempting to stop him from recording.

“When a government diminishes transparency, it has something to hide,” Tangipa added. “The government is trying to punish people for holding it accountable while adding protections for corrupt NGOs.”

In March, Shirley traveled to California, where he alleged that at least $170 million in hospice and daycare fraud was taking place.

“People are asking questions for a reason,” Tangipa said. “This type of bill would protect people preying on the dead and the sick.”

Other Republicans in the Assembly have denounced the bill as an attack on transparency and the First Amendment.

“California Democrats are trying to intimidate citizen watchdog journalists and protect waste and fraud happening in far-left NGOs,” Assemblyman Carl DeMaio wrote in a press release. “AB 2624 can only be described as the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’—a bill designed to silence citizen journalists exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.”

“If this bill becomes law, the message is clear to every journalist in California: Expose corruption and you will be punished,” DeMaio continued. “AB 2624 is an unconstitutional, direct attack on transparency and the First Amendment, and it needs to be defeated.”

Shirley also responded to the legislation on X, calling it an effort by politicians to “protect fraudsters and illegal migrants,” and urging the public to resist what he described as government oppression.

“The enemy truly is within,” Shirley wrote.

The Con at the Heart of the Blue State Model

State Fires a Shot Against ‘Blacklisting’ Conservative Media

Georgia Official Charged With COVID-19 Fraud Runs for State Senate, While 2 Others Plead Guilty

Read the first chapter of The Woketopus right now for FREE

Today, even with President Trump’s victory, leftist elites have their tentacles in every aspect of our government.

The Daily Signal’s own Tyler O’Neil exposes this leftist cabal in his new book, The Woketopus: The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government.

In this book, O’Neil reveals how the Left’s NGO apparatus pursues its woke agenda, maneuvering like an octopus by circumventing Congress and entrenching its interests in the federal government.

You can read the first chapter of this new book for FREE in this eBook, The Woketopus: Chapter One using the secure link below.

The Tony Kinnett Cast

The Daily Signal Podcast

© 2025 The Daily Signal Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

We use cookies on our website. By using our website, you consent to cookies.  Learn More .  

© The Daily Signal