Exposing Fraud Across America

Before the White House appearances, the congressional hearings, and the interviews with some of the biggest names in the country, Nick Shirley was grinding away all across the country. His routine was simple: travel to make a video, film it, edit it, eat, sleep, and do it all again. There wasn’t much room for anything else.

It’s easy to overlook how Nick got here. Most people just see the final investigation, the interviews, or the clips that go viral. But behind all that are countless hours of work. For Nick, those hours turned into days, weeks, and months spent out in the field making the next video.

With Anti Fraud Club nearing its six-month anniversary, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on how far that work has come.

Last October, Nick joined other independent journalists at a White House roundtable with President Donald Trump and his Cabinet. The same person who once filmed on the streets was now sharing his experiences directly with the President. His reporting gave him the chance to bring what he saw to the highest levels of government. That momentum carried Nick into Minnesota.

Nick’s December investigation into alleged daycare fraud reached an audience far beyond the people already following his videos. JD Vance shared it and publicly praised his reporting. By January, Nick was testifying before Congress, where he said the video had received more than 100 million views. He used that opportunity to speak about the people at the center of his work: hardworking Americans who deserve to know where their tax dollars are going. His statement brought that message directly to lawmakers. That alone would have made for an impressive year, but Nick kept going.

In California, Nick looked into taxpayer-funded daycare centers, hospice companies, and home health care operations. In March, the House Oversight Committee started investigating California’s hospice programs. The questions Nick raised for his audience were now leading to official requests for records and answers. That spring, Nick met with Vice President JD Vance to talk about the administration’s anti-fraud task force and what Americans could expect. By July, he was back in New York, investigating adult daycare and medical equipment businesses, this time with CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz joining him.

Nick’s work was also reaching big audiences beyond Washington. Patrick Bet-David invited him onto the PBD Podcast, where they talked about Nick’s investigations, travels, and how he began. Joe Rogan discussed Nick’s California reporting as well. Nick kept bringing viewers to new places, like Cuba and Ceuta, while also returning to the American communities that had become so important to his work.

This week brought a different kind of milestone: a conversation with Logan Paul, who gave Nick props for what he is doing. Nick has spoken about watching Logan’s videos back in high school and wanting to make his own. Years later, the person he once looked up to is now recognizing his work. In between were all the videos, the travel, the editing, and the many days spent doing it all over again.

But some of the most meaningful recognition comes from the people following these investigations every week. Last week in Sacramento, supporters gathered at the State Capitol, spoke with Nick, prayed with him, and stood alongside others who care about the work. He thanked them at the beginning and end of his speech. After so many hours spent reaching people through a screen, they were there in person.

When you share a video, send a tip, forward this newsletter, or support the team, you help keep these investigations going. From the quiet streets of Utah to the White House, and from a teenager watching his favorite creators to being recognized by those same creators, Nick has come a long way. This past year gives us a lot to celebrate and even more reasons to keep moving forward.

There are still more places to visit, more questions to ask, and more stories to share with you. Stay tuned as we keep exploring communities across the United States and uncover what’s really happening on the ground.

We couldn’t do this without your support. Investigations, travel, and our team on the ground all exist because of you. We don’t take that for granted.

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The Justice Department has launched the National Fraud Detection Center, a team led by prosecutors that brings together investigators and analysts from different agencies to go after fraud in federal programs. We mentioned it briefly in last week’s Audit Log, but the problem it aims to fix is worth a closer look.

According to the DOJ, agencies have lacked a clear view of fraud happening across different government programs. That has allowed some operators to move between programs and keep their schemes going without detection. One agency may see part of the activity while another holds information that could help connect it to a much larger operation.

The NFDC is designed to close that gap. It will combine analysis, shared technology, and investigators to find links and create criminal leads. These leads will help with prosecutions, including cases with overseas suspects and schemes that target several federal programs at the same time. Simply put, the government wants fraud investigators to share information and work together so they can investigate operations that span several programs as one case.

The first partners are the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and FinCEN, along with inspectors general who oversee programs in health care, housing, education, veterans’ services, and more. State officials are also involved, with partners from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, and South Carolina.

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, who leads the National Fraud Enforcement Division, said the center marks a change in how the government finds and investigates complex fraud. He had a clear message for those running these schemes: “If you defraud federal programs, we have the tools and the law enforcement partners to find you.”

Coordination was also a key topic when Nick interviewed Vice President JD Vance about the administration’s anti-fraud work earlier this year. The NFDC now gives readers a specific program to watch as these efforts continue. Sharing information could help investigators find schemes that would otherwise stay hidden in different agencies. The next question is whether these connections will lead to stronger cases, faster action, and better protection for public funds.

Anti Fraud Club is almost six months old, so we’re creating a special edition to review our biggest investigations, highlight key moments, and answer an important question: what’s happened with those stories since?

There’s a lot to revisit, from Minnesota’s daycare investigations to California’s hospice programs and Nick’s stories in New York. We’ll check in on what happened after the videos were released, what officials have done since, and what questions remain.

We’re also looking ahead. What should Anti Fraud Club focus on in the next six months? Your feedback is helping us decide.

In our Summer survey, most people chose Nick’s investigations as their favorite. Updates about Anti Fraud Club and broader fraud coverage were also popular. This gives us a clear direction: keep our reporting front and center, and continue providing the context and follow-up that make this newsletter valuable. Feedback on length was clear too. Making Anti Fraud Club better doesn’t mean longer emails. It means making the most of each one with useful updates, clear explanations, and stories that matter.

We were glad to see that many of you read every issue. The fact that you keep coming back means a lot to us, and we want to keep earning your trust. As we get ready for the special edition, we’d love to hear from you. Is there an investigation you want us to revisit? Is there something you’d like us to explain better? Or is there a part of the newsletter you want to see more often? Just reply to this email and let us know.

Thank you to everyone who responded, and to everyone who reads, shares, and supports Anti Fraud Club. These first six months have given us a lot to reflect on. Your feedback will help shape what we do next.