Posted on 01/01/2026 5:23:39 AM PST by MtnClimber
The Washington state attorney general released a statement on X Tuesday evening warning independent journalists to stop investigating fraudulent Somali daycare centers or they could be charged with a hate crime.
“My office has received outreach from members of the Somali community after reports of home-based daycare providers being harassed and accused of fraud with little to no fact-checking,” State AG Nick Brown stated. “We are in touch with the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families regarding the claims being pushed online and the harassment reported by daycare providers. Showing up on someone’s porch, threatening, or harassing them isn’t an investigation. Neither is filming minors who may be in the home. This is unsafe and potentially dangerous behavior.”
Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil rights, issued a warning of her own in reaction to the Washington state AG’s post.
“ANY state official who chills or threatens to chill a journalist’s 1A rights will have some ‘splainin to do,” she wrote on X, Wednesday morning. “[The DOJ Civil Rights Division] takes potential violations of 18 USC § 242 seriously!” Dhillon added.
This statute, known as the Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, makes it a crime for any person acting under the pretense of law to willfully deprive another individual of rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States.
The clash of the AGs came after Youtuber Nick Shirley exposed about a dozen Somali-owned, state-funded childcare facilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that appeared to be completely deserted.
Shirley produced a 42-minute video, which has been viewed over 131 million times on X since it was posted on December 26, alleging that Minnesota governor Tim Walz (D.) “knew about the fraud but never reported it.”
Inspired by Shirley’s bombshell report, citizen journalists in multiple states with large Somali populations have launched their own investigations in recent days.
In the Kent, Washington area Tuesday, YouTuber Chris Sims, a self-described “gonzo journalist,” visited seven suspicious Somali childcare sites and reported that they were “very unhappy” to see him.
Sims posted a video of him approaching a private home listed as a childcare facility that appeared to be not as advertised.
“There was no sign of kids or being a Daycare facility,” Sims wrote. “I was told by a few they weren’t Daycares despite receiving tax payer dollars. One yelled ‘Call the police’ behind the door.”
On Monday, independent journalists Jonathan Choe and Cam Higby visited an alleged Somali daycare facility in Seattle that receives hundreds of thousands in taxpayers funds and the person who answered the door said there was no daycare there in the past or present.
Higby said “Dhagash Childcare” has received over $210,000 just this year alone.
Another listed childcare facility, a house in a residential neighborhood in Kent, Washington, has received over $863,000 since 2023, according to Higby.
“Residents say there IS NO DAYCARE HERE,” the journalist said.
Another reporter reporting on potential fraud in the Rainier Vista neighborhood of Seattle on December 29th, faced hostile reactions from the Somali residents, who called the police on him.
In his statement, the Washington State AG encouraged members of the Somali community “experiencing threats or harassment” to call the police or his office’s Hate Crimes & Bias Incident Hotline or report it to the state’s hate crime website.
Addressing the independent journalists, Brown added: “If you think fraud is happening, there are appropriate measures to report and investigate. Go to DCYF’s website to learn more. And where fraud is substantiated and verified by law enforcement and regulatory agencies, people should be held accountable.”
The Post Millennial’s Andy Ngo responded to Brown’s threat on X, saying: “It is the duty of journalists to visit taxpayer-funded nonprofits and businesses to investigate where you have failed. The journalists have documented their visits on camera and there is no harassing or threatening behavior. You are trying to threaten journalists by telling people to call police with false allegations of a hate crime.”
“”””This is why I’ve been so disappointed with Trump. He only has a small window to do some seriously extreme things like use the military to make a serious dent in the numbers Biden brought over and we know that he’s just not gonna do it. So yeah, we are totally screwed. Cause once President Newsom takes office, its over. Those gates are gonna be wide open again and the criminality will go completly unchecked.”””
I would not lay the blame on Trump.
Congress is where the blame lies. Congress did nothing except try to pass a law that would have been signed by Biden to legalize massive invasions for years to come. You do remember Sen Lankford’s efforts?
Can’t wait for somebody to find the tip of the iceberg in Illinois.
Translation: Please stop uncovering the truth.
No wonder real journalism is dead. Now it’s a hate crime.
Muzzies using children as shields. Never seen that before.
Yes...something like 80% of Somalis get welfare, even after 10 years here (Minnedota). Or maybe “pirating” is a job?
I’m shocked that it took them this long. This is their go to when they are caught in the act. I bet the left is shopping for the right Judge in MN as I type this. That Judge will order Shirley’s materials and films seized, authorize a raid on his house and then slap a gag order on him.
Grossly unconstitutional!❗ Not only does it destroy freedom of speech, it designates that the state can determine who can be a journalist and who cannot.
This clearly indicates that the 'Left' cabal is ready for war! President Trump must meet this challenge aggressively or the Constitution is seriously weakened!❗ Of course we must depend on SCOTUS to outlaw this seizure of constitutional power.
God save our Republic!🙏 Save it from inhabitants who no longer want it!❗
They use ‘social contract’ verbiage until it is time for ‘Social Justice’, then they bitch like a bunch of pussies and run away screaming.
At least the 60s hippies had Pachulia oil. These new kids got absolutely nothing.
Fortunately Shirley has ignited a firestorm of citizen investigators around the country—impossible for leftist criminal Democrats (oh wait I repeated myself) to put out those flames regardless of what they do to Shirley.
The left used to like the idea of citizen mobilization and participation in “our democracy”.
They don’t like it so much anymore.
Lol.
Latest Seattle video journalist just posted of CFP—
https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2006327355166589007
I had almost the exact same thought at first glance at the picture. The typical leftist sneer that always seems to grace a politician’s face when they have forgotten who they work for. They despise the commoners, the unwashed masses who pay their salary, a salary that in truth is probably a small percentage of the grift that flows into their bank account ... the off-shore account of course.
If the AUSA in WA were worth a damn, he’d warn the gov about deprivation of rights under color of law.
Bob Ireland posted: ***The Washington state attorney general released a statement on X Tuesday evening warning independent journalists to stop investigating fraudulent Somali daycare centers or they could be charged with a hate crime***
<><>Grossly unconstitutional!
<><>it destroys freedom of speech,
<><>it designates that the state can determine who can be a journalist and who cannot.
<><>clearly indicates the ‘Left’ cabal is ready for war!
<><>Trump must meet this challenge aggressively or the Constitution is seriously weakened!
<><>we must depend on SCOTUS to outlaw this AG’s seizure of constitutional power.
Just another high level Demoncrat ... I mean Democrat issuing vague threats warning people that investigating their corruption could result in danger to themselves?
If there is nothing to worry about….. why worry?
That’s the truth.
We knew they were snakes when we took them in.
We knew they were snakes when we took them in.
Finding criminal democrat supporters is a hate crime , Oh wait he says Potential , meaning he’s trying to scare people away ,LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.