Photo: Alamy
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., opened the Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Committee Hearing on “Exposing Fraud in America” Wednesday morning. He cited the nearly $40 trillion national debt and the need to combat fraud to protect taxpayers’ earnings.
Fraud is not an ordinary cost of government. It is theft – theft of a taxpayer’s earnings; theft of needed services; theft of a legitimate vote. pic.twitter.com/eFqLGg62X4
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) July 15, 2026
“The federal government loses hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud everywhere,” he stated. “No private business would survive this way.” He explained how private banks, credit card companies, and insurance companies all verify identity and funding before offering loans or payments. “Government should verify before it pays,” he added. “Fraud is not an ordinary cost to government. It is theft. Theft of taxpayers’ earnings, theft of needed services, and theft of the legitimate vote.”
Paul introduced independent journalist Nick Shirley as the first witness to testify on mass fraud in America, noting Shirley’s work exposing fraud in various states within the medical and child care industries.
Shirley began by pointing out that American taxpayers put their time and effort into building a fair nation, but “America’s good faith has been abused by others, often foreigners who seek to harm, rob, and cheat America. Through my efforts, I have exposed billions of dollars of fraud and helped save America hundreds of billions for years to come.”
WATCH: Nick Shirley Delivers his Testimony at the Senate Committee Hearing – 7/15/26 pic.twitter.com/QdrlCJgKFY
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 15, 2026
He described his efforts exposing fraud in Minnesota, noting, “The fraud was so obvious that the fraudsters were not even trying to hide it.” He went on to note his work exposing fraud in California and New York and the political attacks he has suffered from politicians like Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who both attempted to discredit Shirley instead of working to abolish fraud.
“Now the highest government-funded daycare in Minnesota has pleaded guilty to daycare fraud and the largest autism bust in American history has been exposed,” he stated. Shirley pointed out that since he exposed mass fraud across multiple states, over 30 bills to end fraud have been introduced in Congress, a new government anti-fraud task force was created, and the U.S. Treasury has updated protocols to detect fraud.
“The system is filled with bad actors and fraudsters,” he added, detailing how everyday Americans have helped his investigations at a greater rate than the politicians and corporate journalists who have more resources to investigate, expose, and abolish fraud in America.
During his testimony, investigative journalist James O’Keefe explained how he disguised himself as a homeless man on Skid Row in Los Angeles and witnessed the homeless population being paid to register to vote and sign political petitions in exchange for cigarettes and marijuana.
WATCH: James O'Keefe Delivers Remarks at the Exposing Fraud in America Senate Hearing – 7/15/26 pic.twitter.com/zYhq0iXGG5
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) July 15, 2026
“We also found, next, Ballot petitioners asking homeless to sign in other people’s names,” he stated. O’Keefe explained how he caught a petitioner on video pulling up voter rolls online and giving a homeless signee a name and address to write down. When questioning the petitioner, O’Keefe and his crew were attacked by the petitioner’s associate.
“Now that is a federal crime, he stated. “Congress expressly criminalizes payments to people to register to vote. Why? Because the vote is sacred. It’s an act of conscience, judgment. And when it is contaminated by incentives, when it is for sale, it undermines the sanctity and fairness of the process designed to elect those who represent us.”
He further detailed how a representative from the L.A. Homeless Authority impersonated a police officer to attempt to intimidate him and stop the investigation. He called it “Fraud covering up for the fraud across the street.”
To continue his work, O’Keefe stated that he banded together with journalists Savanah Hernandez, Cam Higby, Anthony Reuben, and Jonathan Choe to create a “Citizen Journalist Justice League.
He reminded Senate members that all of the incidents mentioned in his testimony were recorded on video. O’Keefe also pointed out that the reason so many people in power turn a blind eye to fraud is that, “There is money in fraud, but there is no money in exposing fraud.” He decried politicians who campaign on fairness and freedom without taking legal action. “Without accountability, our notion of freedom is just an illusion.”
