A House Judiciary subcommittee will convene a high-profile hearing next week to examine allegations of widespread fraud in Minnesota’s taxpayer-funded social services programs, intensifying congressional scrutiny of a state already under multiple federal investigations.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance is scheduled to meet on January 21 for a hearing titled “When Public Funds Are Abused: Addressing Fraud and the Theft of Taxpayer Dollars.” The session will be chaired by Rep. Andy Biggs and streamed live on platforms including YouTube and Twitter, according to reports. Lawmakers are expected to focus on Medicaid-supported services ranging from child care assistance and autism therapy to adult day programs and nonemergency medical transportation.
Federal authorities have already secured indictments and convictions in several Minnesota-related cases, with estimated losses reaching into the billions of dollars over recent years. The hearing comes as federal agencies continue funding pauses and intensified probes, raising questions about state oversight and enforcement mechanisms.
A central witness will be Nick Shirley, a 23-year-old YouTuber and self-described independent journalist whose viral video series in late 2025 alleged extensive fraud across Minnesota’s social services system. Shirley’s first major installment, released around Christmas, drew more than 140 million views on X and millions more on YouTube, prompting responses from prominent public figures and accelerating federal scrutiny.
Shirley followed with another video released, focusing on alleged irregularities involving school and government transportation companies. That installment also attracted millions of views. While some media reports have noted that state inspections of specific facilities highlighted in his videos did not confirm fraud in those individual cases, officials have acknowledged broader, long-standing problems across the system.
🚨 After my last video exposing over $110 Million in fraud Tim Walz dropped his run for reelection and multiple federal investigations were launched to stop fraud across the country. In this 51 minute video David and I expose another $16 Million in fraud as Minnesota welfare… pic.twitter.com/p5r6BDXqsK
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) January 14, 2026
Also scheduled to testify is Jennifer Larson, CEO of the Minnesota-based Holland Autism Center and Clinic, who is expected to address ethical practices in autism care and the consequences of diverted public resources. Scott Dexter, a former Minnesota police officer and former fraud investigator with the state’s Department of Human Services, will offer testimony on child care and financial fraud investigations.
In an interview with Alpha News ahead of the hearing, Biggs described the panel’s objectives in stark terms. “It is our goal to find out what is going on, criminally prosecute those who should be prosecuted, and just stop the fraud,” he said. He emphasized restoring public confidence that government assistance reaches its intended recipients, adding, “When these programs exist, whether it’s in Minnesota or anywhere else, the resources go to whom the program was designed to receive those resources.”
Biggs said recent pauses in federal funding stemmed from insufficient cooperation and clarity from state officials. “The reason that they paused funding is because we’re not getting the necessary clarity from the state officials. You don’t want to keep putting good money into something bad,” he said, noting the involvement of the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI. He predicted the current efforts “will lead to prosecutions.”
Addressing the scale of the alleged misconduct, Biggs cited estimates of up to $9 billion in fraud across various programs, criticizing incentive structures he described as “not wholesome and not honest.” He urged voters to hold state leaders accountable, telling Minnesotans: “Be cognizant of who it was of your elected officials who continued the conduct that allowed this. I mean, this is something that there needs to be accountability for. Ultimately, it’s each state and the people in each state.”
While declining to offer a precise timeline for resolution, Biggs struck a note of guarded optimism. “If we work together on both sides of it, hopefully we clean it up and it benefits all of us as Americans,” he said, pledging continued congressional oversight as investigations move forward.
[Read More: Minnesota Dems Under Investigation]
Hooray awesome Bravo Nick