YouTuber Nick Shirley has a sneaking suspicion for why Gov. Gavin Newsom is slamming him — and it’s not good for California.
The conservative influencer has been in the governor’s crosshairs after his recent viral exposé claiming to uncover widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded programs in the Golden State.
Shirley said he believes Newsom is trying to intimidate others out of probing possible fraud in California with the attacks.
“I think they’re trying to intimidate other people from doing what I did because the fraud is so deep, unfortunately for them, it backfired very bad,” he told NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich on Thursday.
“I’ve given them the opportunity in other posts, I said, let’s work together if you think there’s fraud, let’s go do it,” he continued.
“If I was the governor I would be happy that the fraud was exposed and figuring out how to crack down on this fraud and instead, he attacks the journalist who exposed the fraud.”
Newsom’s office posted a creepy photoshopped image of Shirley at a daycare with cameras covering his body, asking a daycare worker, “Hey, can I see your kids?”
Shirley hit back, writing: “You do realize I’m trying to help America eliminate fraud and waste right? No need to try and make me look like the bad guy for exposing fraud. People are over it. Start working for the people and not against them.”
Shirley also said in the interview that he has not spoken with anyone from the federal government about the fraud, but claimed police arrested a man who was stealing medical beneficiary numbers for identity theft in Los Angeles.
Shirley has been actively investigating the ongoing healthcare fraud crisis in California, particularly in Los Angeles.
Hospice care providers have been the focus of the fraud investigation. One office plaza in Van Nuys is chockfull of red flags for fraud because it has 89 licensed hospice care providers, though the owner said he only has 12 recognized hospice care tenants.
Shirley visited Van Nuys and alleged that a hospice care provider called Miracle Healing Hospice Inc, is illicitly billing the state more than $1.3 million, with Medicare paying them $966,000. The location appeared empty.
He said this particular Van Nuys building had many hospice providers and pointed out the expensive cars in its parking lot, including a Tesla Cybertruck.
“Massive fraud taking place here inside the state of California,” he said.
Shirley recently accused Newsom of perpetuating the fraud.
“He’s literally working to support the fraudsters,’ Shirley said in a Fox News interview. “Meanwhile, he could be working to expose the fraud.”
