California's Push for the 'Stop Nick Shirley Act'

Assembly Bill 2624, known as the 'Stop Nick Shirley' Act and authored by Assembly Member Mia Bonta, is a new California bill that would restrict the activities of independent journalists. The bill would criminalize publishing photos or personal information online if a court determines the intent was to harass, threaten, or incite violence. Penalties include fines up to $10,000 and possible jail time.

AB 2624 would create misdemeanor liability for posting personal information or images of anyone identified as an "immigration support services" provider, employee, or volunteer, if a court determines the intent was to threaten, harass, or incite violence. Violations may result in fines up to $10,000, jail time, or both, and allow affected individuals to seek removal of the content. Critics argue that intent is often easy to allege and costly to contest, making the bill a potential tool against journalists rather than a protection for workers.

Nick addressed the bill on The Will Cain Show. "They're trying to make it so citizen journalists or just average Americans who are going about seeing what's happening inside their community, they're trying to scare them from talking about potential fraud taking place inside of these communities," he said. "They're literally willing to impose a $10,000 fine or imprisonment if you go and seek to find out the truth about a location that could potentially be fraudulent inside your own neighborhood."

This legislation is being considered during a period of heightened focus on fraud enforcement. Governor Newsom's press office has recently emphasized fraud prevention efforts, citing over $125 billion in fraud stopped and 1,200 arrests since he took office, and directing reporters to StopFraud.CA.Gov. On April 9, Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta announced Operation Skip Trace, which uncovered a $267 million Los Angeles hospice fraud ring. Newsom highlighted California's leadership in anti-fraud efforts, and his office has emphasized the state's ongoing involvement in related federal investigations.

The strange part is that the same governor, now taking “victory laps” on fraud enforcement, has publicly criticized Nick Shirley and the federal officials involved in these investigations. In March, after Nick posted his 40-minute California investigation, the Governor's Press Office account responded with a doctored image and a series of posts to downplay his findings, including one that attributed responsibility to "Donald Trump's federal Medicare system." If enacted, AB 2624 could enable the state to take legal action against journalists for similar activities.

Earlier this week, we released a statement on X regarding AB 2624: “The 1st Amendment exists so the government can't silence you for what you say, publish, or expose. If enacted, AB 2624 would prohibit individuals, including Nick Shirley, from posting footage that exposes organizations suspected of defrauding taxpayers. The bill could result in the removal of investigative footage, including videos recorded in public, and impose fines up to $10,000 (per violation) and possible jail time.”

We will continue to monitor this bill closely. If you are in California, consider contacting your representative to express your position. You can find your representative here: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.

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If you haven’t seen Nick’s California fraud exposé yet, now’s a good time to check it out. He’s getting ready to release part two soon and you won’t want to miss it.

Here’s a quick recap: Nick compared Medi-Cal billing data with state licensing records and found about $170 million in questionable hospice claims in Los Angeles County. His footage showed dozens of so-called hospices operating from the same rundown office building, all billing the state for what looked like fraudulent claims.

The response was quick. The story reached the White House and led to the creation of the Anti-Fraud Task Force, headed by JD Vance.

Part II of the California fraud exposé is coming soon, so keep an eye out for Nick’s channels.