Just weeks after federal prosecutors launched “Operation Never Say Die” — a crackdown on widespread fraud in Los Angeles, California —Democrats are moving quickly to ensure that the journalist who helped expose the fraud cannot do so again.
On April 13, the California Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 11-2 to advance AB 2624, a bill formally titled “Privacy for Immigration Support Services Providers.”
Critics have dubbed it the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” arguing that it is designed to silence independent journalists who are holding accountable those profiting from fraud in “The Golden State.”
AB 2624: CA Bill Would Let Immigration Groups Sue Over Public Videos
Democratic Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) introduced AB 2624 on February 20, 2026. The bill borrows its legal structure from existing California privacy protections for abortion providers and “gender-affirming care” providers. Its goal is to extend similar safeguards to immigration service organizations, including their staff, volunteers, and even household members.
If passed, the bill would give these organizations a powerful legal tool: the ability to demand the removal of any video footage of their operations — even when filmed on a public sidewalk — and to sue individuals who post or share such recordings.
For journalists like Nick Shirley, whose on-the-ground video footage of the Minnesota fraud series went viral, the implications are significant. Anyone who doesn’t obey the new law could be hauled into court and hit with damages starting at $4,000 per violation – just for publishing what they saw.
There may also be criminal penalties for violators. They could face a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 1 year in county jail. If the sharing of information leads to bodily harm, penalties may increase to fines of $50,000 and felony charges.
Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio gave the bill its now-famous nickname, “The Stop Nick Shirley Act,” during a recent committee hearing. At the hearing, DeMaio confronted Bonta over language that could let affiliated groups demand the removal of publicly recorded videos.
“If this bill becomes law,” DeMaio warned, “the message is clear to every journalist in California: expose corruption and you will be punished.”
From Fraud Exposé to “Operation Never Say Die”: CA Democrats Attempt To Shoot the Messenger
Shirley focused on child-care fraud in Minnesota before turning his attention to “California’s billion-dollar fraud crisis.” In a March video, Shirley suggests that fraudsters are establishing numerous fake hospice businesses.
Shirley and his team have documented over $170 million in suspected fraud, with owners and operators seemingly profiting lavishly from their illegal activities.
Shirley’s team also released footage earlier this year exposing huge irregularities in California’s voter registration rolls, including addresses where 30 or more voters were registered to a single mail store, voters listed as 125 years old, and even a dog successfully registered to vote. The video arrived as Congress debated the SAVE America Act, which would require a photo ID for federal elections and proof of citizenship to register to vote. This plan is supported by 83% of Americans, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Federal prosecutors answered with “Operation Never Say Die,” charging 15 people in a $60 million Medicare hospice scheme. Authorities also arrested eight others in California, accused of billing Medicare for “patients” who were not terminally ill.
In other words, the journalism worked. Fraud was real. Arrests were made.
California Democrats have had plenty of time to go after the fraudsters Shirley’s camera found. Instead, it appears their response has been to go after the camera.
Striking Irony: Bonta Bill Protects Groups Targeted by Husband’s Fraud Crackdown
Bonta is married to California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
“Operation Never Say Die” refers to the federal crackdown on fraud in California, directly linked to the fraudulent activities Shirley exposed. This operation was coordinated with the California Attorney General’s Office. Rob Bonta has publicly blamed the federal government for enabling hospice fraud to thrive. This comes even as his wife’s bill is progressing through the legislature, which aims to protect the very types of organizations currently under investigation.
Whether or not there is direct coordination between the two, the optics do not look great for California: the state’s top law enforcement officer has a direct personal interest in the fate of a bill that critics say is designed to stop the kind of public-accountability journalism that is now producing federal indictments.
At minimum, that is a conflict of interest worth noting — exactly the kind of insider protection racket that journalists like Nick Shirley try to expose.