Massive fraud in Minnesota didn’t unravel because of a government audit — it unraveled because one guy asked simple questions.
In this episode of Stay in the Fray Podcast, Ryan breaks down how independent journalist Nick Shirley exposed taxpayer fraud tied to “learning centers,” why transparency was refused at every turn, and how media outlets rushed to attack the messenger instead of the crime.
The episode also covers Governor Tim Walz’s response, his attempts to racialize the issue, and the growing list of unanswered questions as investigations expand and leadership quietly steps away.
This is not about race.
It’s about accountability.
And it’s about why fraud keeps getting protected instead of punished.
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00:00:00
A YouTube named Nick Shirley went to Minnesota and did
00:00:04
something extremely radical. Ask where the money's going.
00:00:10
Was paid $1.26 million. Instead of focusing on fraud
00:00:16
that every American who matter which side of the aisle you're
00:00:19
on should be pissed about, the media immediately pivots to Nick
00:00:22
Shirley. So we can make our own analysis.
00:00:25
Are you 100% sure you're true? Yeah, I am 100%.
00:00:27
Sure, I'm true. That was conservative YouTube.
00:00:29
Nick Shirley, his viral video where he's going door to door at
00:00:33
daycares in the Minneapolis area and saying that.
00:00:35
You could probably blame for all of this because he's the man at
00:00:37
the top in Minnesota. This is where it gets truly
00:00:40
absurd. As usual with Timmy, let's hear
00:00:43
from him about the fraud. This is his response.
00:00:47
Roll it. This is what happens when your
00:00:48
own federal government wages war against you.
00:00:51
This is what happens when they target communities for their own
00:00:53
benefit. This is what happens when they
00:00:55
scapegoat. Watch this video and make sure
00:00:58
you let it play long enough for the line.
00:01:01
I know the fraud is bad. Here is cut.
00:01:04
I'm unable to work or go to school.
00:01:07
I understand fraud is bad. Here I come.
00:01:12
Here I come. Welcome to Stay in the Fray
00:01:24
podcast. I'm your host, Ryan.
00:01:26
This is where headlines get hit hard, hypocracy gets shredded,
00:01:30
and the absurd are laughed at. If you want comfort, this isn't
00:01:33
your place. If you want blunt and
00:01:35
unfiltered, I'm your guy. Join me in the fray.
00:01:44
Hey guys, I suppose this Minnesota fraud, the entire
00:01:49
state's gone in cuckoo, but this fraud that's being uncovered
00:01:53
needs to be discussed on Stay on the Fray podcast.
00:01:57
So everyone needs to take a breath with me for a second
00:02:01
because what's happening in Minnesota right now is one of
00:02:03
the clearest examples of how completely broken our priorities
00:02:08
are becoming this country because of the division.
00:02:12
We have massive fraud. We have taxpayer money stolen.
00:02:18
We've got clear evidence being shown on camera.
00:02:22
And instead of asking who did this, where'd the money go?
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How do we stop it? The media, politicians and
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activists all asked the same question.
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Who can we blame for pointing it out?
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That's where we're at. It is unreal.
00:02:40
Let me give some perspective on all this.
00:02:41
It'll be very quick. Come join me.
00:02:44
This is Stay in the Fray podcast.
00:02:46
It is January the 8th, 2026. Let's roll.
00:02:53
Let's start with what actually happened.
00:02:56
A YouTube named Nick Shirley went to Minnesota and did
00:03:00
something extremely radical. He asked questions.
00:03:05
See for yourself. Roll this boys.
00:03:08
It's. Quality leering center meant to
00:03:11
say quality Learning Center don't open.
00:03:13
They said they spelt learning wrong.
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Have you ever seen children at that daycare center right there?
00:03:19
Well, yeah, it's right there. It says the child you've never
00:03:21
seen daycare I. Don't see anybody in here,
00:03:23
children here in your childcare. We just.
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Got job care? Man, we sell other Minnesota
00:03:28
childcare right here. It's from the state of
00:03:30
Minnesota's website. We're just wondering where the
00:03:32
children are. Where the?
00:03:35
Children are, yeah. Where are the children?
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It says you have 100 and two children here and you got $2.66
00:03:41
million this year in funding. To ask where the money's going,
00:03:47
I would like to check a child in the daycare.
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Can I speak to a manager? Where can I get paperwork to
00:03:56
file for my son? I wanted to put my son Joey in
00:03:59
daycare and after a few questions the lady went silent.
00:04:02
Looks like little Joey Shirley ain't going to daycare here.
00:04:04
We're in the middle of a strip mall here inside of this
00:04:07
neighborhood. In fiscal year 2025, this
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facility, which shows its license for 74 kids, was paid
00:04:15
$1.26 million in tax money and there are no kids and the all
00:04:21
the facilities are the same way, all of them.
00:04:23
Let's see if anyone opens. Yeah, let's see.
00:04:26
Once again, I try to find a spot for my son Joey and they would
00:04:29
not open the door. I want to put my son Joey in
00:04:33
daycare because I need a spot to put my son Joey.
00:04:37
Yes. Is this your daycare center?
00:04:41
No. It's not working there.
00:04:43
What's? Happening.
00:04:43
I just want to put a child in daycare but all the daycare
00:04:45
centers seem to be closed. No one's opening the doors.
00:04:49
You work here. I was, yeah.
00:04:51
What's helping? Where are the kids?
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It says it's licensed for 74 children right here state of
00:04:58
Minnesota. Where are the kids?
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They got paid $1.26 million in fiscal year 2025.
00:05:04
It says they have a capacity for 74 children.
00:05:07
When, when, Where are the kids? Right here State of Minnesota
00:05:10
website. Yeah, I would like to see if I
00:05:14
can put my son Joey here. Who is your son Joey?
00:05:17
My son Joey, can I check out daycare center?
00:05:20
No. You get the point.
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I mean, there's there's a lot of this, but I just a nice
00:05:25
compilation of it there for you. That's it.
00:05:28
He went to these so-called learning centers, non profit
00:05:31
facilities, many tied to Somali communities and asked basic
00:05:35
reasonable questions. Who are the students?
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Where are they? Where are the teachers?
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How can I roll my young boy Joe? How is the money being used all
00:05:44
this that's being allotted to you every year?
00:05:47
Instead of answers, he got hostility door slammed, phones
00:05:51
pulled out. As I was saying they keeps why
00:05:54
do you want to put yourself well you're you're a daycare center.
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The staff refused to explain anything even though that guy
00:05:59
that claimed he worked there once it just obviously frozen.
00:06:02
Here's the thing. If this was a legit if these
00:06:05
places were clean, Nick would have been laughed out of the
00:06:08
building. They would have said here's the
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paperwork. Here are all the kids.
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Here's the curriculum we use, here's the funding.
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Instead, panic. They froze, They screamed back.
00:06:20
Do you really need more to at least think about it?
00:06:22
Let's talk scale. This is not small.
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Minnesota has a long history of nonprofit education related
00:06:29
fraud, much of it tied to Somali run organizations.
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We're talking dozens of organizations, hundreds of
00:06:36
individuals, hundreds of millions of dollars, and likely
00:06:40
over a billion when you add it all up.
00:06:42
Historically, the Feeding Our Future case alone was over 250
00:06:47
million. So no, this isn't new.
00:06:50
This isn't isolated. This is a pattern.
00:06:53
And Nick didn't create it. He's exposing it because nobody
00:06:57
else is making it a priority. Now.
00:07:00
Watch how fast the conversation shifts.
00:07:03
Instead of focusing on fraud that every American, no matter
00:07:07
which side of the aisle you're on, should be pissed about, the
00:07:10
media immediately pivots to Nick Shirley.
00:07:13
And of course, CNN front and center, ready to blame the wrong
00:07:17
person again. Roll this clip, boys.
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How do you know that you're right?
00:07:22
How do you know that all the allegations that you're making
00:07:24
are true? How do I know that I'm they're
00:07:25
true? Well, we showed you guys that.
00:07:27
We showed you guys what was happening and then you guys can
00:07:30
go ahead and. Make your own analysis.
00:07:31
We're coming so we can make our own analysis.
00:07:32
Are you 100% sure you're true? Yeah, I am 100%.
00:07:35
Sure, I'm true. That was conservative YouTube
00:07:37
Nick Shirley. His viral video where he's going
00:07:40
door to door at daycares in the Minneapolis area and saying that
00:07:43
he's uncovering massive amounts of fraud at Somali run daycares
00:07:47
has exploded on social media. Elon Musk retweeted the video.
00:07:51
JD Vance retweeted the video. CNN is looking into Shirley's
00:07:56
claims. This idea of fraud in Minnesota,
00:07:59
though, is not new. In fact, for many, many years,
00:08:02
the Department of Justice has been prosecuting cases against
00:08:07
dozens of defendants, many of whom are concentrated in the
00:08:10
Somali American community here in the Minneapolis area.
00:08:14
Some of those cases actually began under Biden's DOJ in 2022
00:08:18
for a various list of different types of frauds, and so far
00:08:22
there have been at least 80 people indicted, at least 56
00:08:26
convictions. All right, Whitney, So CNN
00:08:32
brings Whitney Wilde, who presses him with, well, how do
00:08:35
you know you're right? Well, because it's on camera,
00:08:38
because they won't answer questions because the numbers
00:08:41
don't add up. And then here it comes.
00:08:43
At the very beginning, she referred to him as a
00:08:47
conservative YouTube conservative.
00:08:50
Why? What does political leaning have
00:08:53
to do with fraud? Since when is stealing taxpayer
00:08:58
money by the hundreds of millions a partisan issue?
00:09:02
Only conservatives care about corruption.
00:09:05
Liberals should care too and I don't know why they don't.
00:09:08
Then CNN Whitney pulled off one of the biggest self owns I've
00:09:11
ever seen. The idea of fraud isn't new in
00:09:13
Minnesota. The DOJ has prosecuted dozens of
00:09:16
cases. Many talked to smaller
00:09:18
communities. She got that in there.
00:09:20
Well, which is it, Whitney? Why are you doubting Nick?
00:09:23
If you're literally there saying we know it exists?
00:09:27
Why are you smearing him? Why hasn't the fraud stopped?
00:09:31
You can't say it's real, proven and ongoing and then attack the
00:09:35
guy who's showing it, unless the exposure itself is the real
00:09:38
problem for you. Oh man, let's get to let's get
00:09:42
to Tim Walz, who you could probably blame for all of this
00:09:45
because he's the man at the top in Minnesota.
00:09:47
This is where it gets truly absurd.
00:09:50
As usual with Timmy, let's hear from him about the fraud.
00:09:54
This is his response. Roll it.
00:09:56
So this is what happens when your own federal government
00:10:00
wages war against you. This is what happens when they
00:10:03
target communities for their own benefit.
00:10:05
This is what happens when they scapegoat.
00:10:08
And this is what, say, happens when they no longer hide the
00:10:10
idea of white supremacy. When you hear the Vice President
00:10:13
of the United States talk about now white people won't have to
00:10:15
apologize for being white. That's never happened once in my
00:10:18
whole damn life, and I think everybody in this room knows
00:10:21
what they're doing. So we're here today to say
00:10:24
enough of this. We're here today to stand that
00:10:26
Minnesota will protect their neighbors.
00:10:28
My, I should just do a, a reel of my reactions after these
00:10:32
videos because it has to be pretty funny.
00:10:35
Just I just, I don't even know what to say, but I'll try.
00:10:39
Tim says this is what happens when the federal government
00:10:42
targets you. No, this is what happens when
00:10:45
fraud is uncovered. Then he goes straight to that
00:10:50
race card. White supremacy.
00:10:53
I'm sorry, what? Demanding accountability for
00:10:57
stolen money is not racist. Fraud does not become protected
00:11:02
because of identity. And then that might have been
00:11:06
the dumbest thing I've heard in a long time.
00:11:09
He somehow connects his white supremacy claim to Vice
00:11:13
President JD Vance stating that white people should not
00:11:16
apologize for being white anymore.
00:11:19
How is that racist? White people should never
00:11:23
apologize for being white. If anything, telling people they
00:11:26
should apologize for their race is what's racist.
00:11:30
And how in God's name did he does that relate to money being
00:11:34
stolen in Minnesota? He said this is a part of his
00:11:36
response to the fraud. It goes beyond so far beyond
00:11:39
deflection. I'm let's move on.
00:11:43
There's more. The incoherent babbling from
00:11:45
Tampon Tim is just non-stop. So here's another one Roll this
00:11:50
one guys a lot. Of white men should be holding a
00:11:52
lot of white men accountable for the, for the crimes that they
00:11:55
have committed, which of course, the majority being committed by
00:11:58
white men asking us to do more about that.
00:12:00
I think it's crime in general. We continue to educate folks
00:12:03
about why they shouldn't commit crimes.
00:12:05
You would hope that it's being taught both at home and at
00:12:07
schools and in our society. But no, I think this idea that
00:12:11
the Somali community is to blame for this because they didn't do
00:12:14
more. I I think that's how we got into
00:12:15
this. And that's, you know, again,
00:12:18
don't I know we're not going to lose the whole plot here.
00:12:21
All this work is being done. Donald Trump brought this to the
00:12:24
attention like this is something brand new.
00:12:27
This is not brand new and it's been being worked on, but he
00:12:30
made it white hot and very dangerous.
00:12:34
It's all over the place. Afraid he's got to get Trump in
00:12:37
there somehow. And then we knew it was there,
00:12:39
but Trump said it was there. But, and you heard it right,
00:12:42
white men should be holding white men accountable for other
00:12:46
fraud. That's likely happening.
00:12:48
OK, Anybody should be held accountable for committing
00:12:51
fraud. But why is this racial?
00:12:54
A white man demand accountability from anyone.
00:12:58
A Mexican man or woman can demand accountability from
00:13:01
anyone. An Asian, a black man, any,
00:13:05
anybody can demand accountability from anyone.
00:13:09
Justice doesn't come in skin tone.
00:13:11
And when he says blaming the Somali community is how we got
00:13:14
here. No, Tim, fraud is how we got
00:13:17
here. And a lot of it was carried out
00:13:21
within the Somali community. And if it wasn't new, as they
00:13:25
keep admitting, then why isn't it been fixed?
00:13:29
Why did Trump have to spotlight it?
00:13:31
Why did Nick Shirley have to do it?
00:13:34
Which brings us to the timing. Breaking news, Tim Walz is not
00:13:38
seeking another term as governor.
00:13:41
Coincidence. Maybe.
00:13:44
But if this wasn't a complete and total cluster fuck, I don't
00:13:49
think anybody would be heading for the exit.
00:13:50
All right, we need to talk about something.
00:13:52
Everyone keeps dodging victims because every time this story
00:13:57
comes up, we're told the real victims are the Somali
00:14:01
communities. Stop it.
00:14:04
Who are the actual victims here? Well, how about the taxpayers
00:14:08
for one. Working families, People who
00:14:11
followed the rules, People who didn't steal.
00:14:15
I'm so tired of this country feeling as though we must walk
00:14:19
on egg shells for these people or any others who fled a country
00:14:23
and now expect to turn the US into that very place they fled.
00:14:27
So now I have to ask the obvious question in regards to the
00:14:30
Somali community. Where is Ilhan Omar in all of
00:14:33
this? All she ever does is rush to
00:14:36
defend the Somali communities, claim victimhood and shut down
00:14:40
the criticism. But when fraud is uncovered,
00:14:43
when money's stolen evidence shown within these communities
00:14:47
by the way, suddenly accountability disappears.
00:14:51
Omar is nowhere to be seen. Just for funsies, as if we
00:14:54
needed any more proof. Watch this video and make sure
00:14:58
you let it play long enough for the line.
00:15:01
I know the fraud is bad. Here we go.
00:15:04
Roll it, boys. Kara is cut.
00:15:07
I'm unable to work or go to school.
00:15:10
I understand fraud is bad. Here I come.
00:15:15
Here I come. I love that they're still
00:15:31
supporting. You're like, no, no, it's fine.
00:15:33
But there it is. That wasn't Nick Shirley, that
00:15:36
wasn't CNN, that wasn't some far right YouTube.
00:15:40
That was a Somali resident standing at a podium with a
00:15:44
massive fuck up for her community.
00:15:46
She accidentally admits that fraud is happening out there,
00:15:50
even if she says it's bad out loud to reporters for all to
00:15:55
see. So now that we've established
00:15:57
reality, here's where I'm going to be very clear.
00:16:02
Yes, legitimate Somali families exist.
00:16:06
Many of them are peaceful, just trying to have a nice life.
00:16:11
Yes, some people are not directly involved, but at some
00:16:14
level, people know this is going on.
00:16:18
You don't get fraud on this scale without community
00:16:21
awareness. You don't get repeated schemes
00:16:25
without silence, And silence isn't neutral in my book.
00:16:30
That matters. Now we'll talk as we wrap up
00:16:33
about an issue nobody ever wants to say out loud.
00:16:36
Assimilation. If you come to America, you
00:16:39
don't get to reject our system, especially while exploiting it.
00:16:43
Assimilation doesn't mean losing your culture.
00:16:46
It means respecting the laws, the norms, and the people
00:16:50
footing the bill. Accountability is a part of
00:16:53
assimilation. Can you imagine a small white,
00:16:56
black Asian community moving into a Middle Eastern country
00:16:59
like Somalia, refusing to assimilate and running massive
00:17:03
fraud schemes? I'm not sure that would last so
00:17:06
long. America is too nice and that
00:17:10
kindness is being abused. And I say no more.
00:17:15
The fatigue is real and I know where some of you are headed
00:17:18
right now. This is not about race, this
00:17:22
isn't about hate. This is about the bare minimum
00:17:25
expectation. Don't steal from the people who
00:17:29
took you in. All right, let's bring it home.
00:17:31
This episode was not an attack on people.
00:17:34
It was an attack on fraud. Simply put, put the race cards
00:17:38
back in your pockets. You know what?
00:17:41
Leave them there. That would be a great start.
00:17:45
The fact that so many politicians, media figures and
00:17:50
activists rushed to defend the fraud instead of the victims
00:17:55
tell you everything you need to know right now.
00:17:57
They didn't ask where the money went.
00:17:59
They didn't ask who benefited. They didn't ask why it keeps
00:18:02
happening. They asked who could be blamed
00:18:04
for pointing it out. That is ass backwards.
00:18:09
If you steal taxpayer money, you should be held accountable.
00:18:12
Don't care who you are. I don't care what you look like,
00:18:14
I don't care where you're from. And if you come to this country,
00:18:18
a country that opened its doors, the bare minimum expectation is
00:18:23
that you do not exploit it. Once again, assimilation
00:18:28
includes accountability. Period.
00:18:31
Shielding fraud behind race is disgusting.
00:18:36
Attacking whistleblowers is disgusting, and pretending this
00:18:40
is about targeting somebody or a group instead of theft is
00:18:45
insulting to everyone who plays by the rules.
00:18:50
If that makes people uncomfortable, good.
00:18:53
It should, because discomfort is a lot better than letting
00:18:57
corruption rot from the inside. Thanks for hanging with me on
00:19:01
this one. I just feel like as soon as I've
00:19:04
seen everything from the lefty movement that's going on,
00:19:08
something even crazier pops up to me on this show.
00:19:12
It's not even about the events anymore, although I'll try and
00:19:15
give them to you as much as you need.
00:19:17
It's about the reactions to those events.
00:19:19
It's so baffling to me. So like subscribe, hit the bell,
00:19:24
all the stuff, pass it on. I know there's a lot of you out
00:19:27
there like minded to me and every little thing helps, but
00:19:32
most important to me, your thoughts.
00:19:35
I'd love to hear them. Don't don't be shy.
00:19:38
Drop a comment below on any of the platform pages and we can
00:19:42
keep rolling into 2026. So stay skeptical, stay honest,
00:19:50
stay accountable, stay in the fray.
00:19:53
Love you guys, all you had to. Do is just listen up.