Photo: Adobe Stock | Analysis by Summer Lane
California Democrats have advanced a bill that would essentially criminalize investigative journalism, with an obvious aim of stopping the exposure of unsavory operations uncovered by independent journalists like Nick Shirley.
AB 2624, also nicknamed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” by some, is billed as legislation that would provide “privacy for immigration support services providers” by establishing a “confidentiality program” for those facing “threats of violence or harassment from the public” due to their link to any such centers.
This appears to include shielding such entities from having any information, like their employees, volunteers, or even the address of the location, shared publicly. In other words, investigative reporting on such providers, as independent journalist Nick Shirley has been doing, would be criminalized.
Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio slammed the legislation this week as an ill-disguised tool to intimidate citizen watchdogs. “California Democrats are trying to intimidate citizen watchdog journalists and protect waste and fraud happening in far-Left-wing NGOs,” he said in a statement. “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. Instead of fixing the fraud problems being uncovered, Sacramento politicians are trying to shut down the people exposing them.”
The bill was introduced by Democrat Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, who is married to California’s Attorney General, Rob Bonta.
Her website touts the bill as a benign shield of protection for those working to help immigration communities: “People who work to help immigrant communities should not have to fear being doxxed for doing so. AB 2624 extends existing tools to immigrant service providers shielding them from having their personal information publicly exposed and gives them real legal tools to prevent and respond to targeted harassment.”
Bonta’s bill appears to be a direct response to the investigative journalism work of individuals like Shirley, who exposed massive layers of alleged fraud in Minnesota – an expansive network that was allegedly cloaked within government-funded daycare operations. Other organizations in Minnesota also came under scrutiny, such as “Feeding Our Future” and “Autism EIDBI.” Both organizations in the state may have been allegedly targeted for hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud, as reported by RSBN.
It appears that Bonta’s bill basically aims to make it illegal to document the inner workings of such centers, which could include interviewing alleged employees, and disseminating any of that information online, as any investigative journalist would – and as Nick Shirley did when he blew the lid off the infamous Minnesota daycare operation and Somali “Learing Center,” sparking DOJ interest.
Consider the wording of Bonta’s “fact sheet” on AB 2624, which would expand the current Secretary of State’s “Safe at Home Program” for domestic violence victims to include those simply working at immigrant organizations in California:
“Integrating these provisions into the Safe at Home Program will reduce public exposure of sensitive personal information, deter malicious online conduct, and provide meaningful legal tools to stop and address doxxing before it escalates into physical harm.”
Bonta alleges that these workers face “heightened risks” in their jobs, citing a “climate of fear” due to current federal immigration policies and “anti-immigrant rhetoric.”
Simply put, AB 2624 would treat employees or volunteers with immigration services in California – of which there are many – like a domestic violence survivor, shielding them from public exposure.
Understandably, there is plenty of opposition to the bill.
“This bill would expand restrictions around recording and documenting inside certain facilities, including organizations that receive government funding,” said Republican Assemblyman David Tangpia, explaining the legislation on X.
He continued, “In practice, that means journalists and independent investigators could face legal penalties simply for documenting what’s happening inside taxpayer-funded operations. Think about that. The very people trying to expose fraud, abuse, or mismanagement could be the ones punished.”
Nick Shirley also responded to the legislation on X, noting the lopsided priorities of lawmakers. “The enemy truly is within. When our politicians would rather protect fraudsters and illegal migrants, it’s time for us to stand up or face mass oppression from the traitors who ‘rule’ over us,” he wrote.
Elon Musk, the owner of X and the innovator behind Tesla and SpaceX, fired off on his platform, “California legislators are trying to make investigating fraud illegal[.]”
Independent journalist Max Bonilla slammed the proposed legislation online, too, noting its steep penalties and rules. “The Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 11-2 to make investigative journalism illegal,” he said. “Their bill would impose civil sanctions of $4,000 minimum if an immigrant services fraudster wants to be off camera and takes the issue to court…If this bill passes fully, and, Nick or anyone else were brave enough to film more ghost-client daycares or hospices, they’d be under severe financial and legal scrutiny. What a shame!”
Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett (R) remarked, “California is as crooked as a dog’s leg.”