Newsom Office Mocks Journalist Alleging MediCal Fraud

California Governor Gavin Newsom's office sparked controversy on March 17, 2026, by posting a mocking image on X that targeted independent journalist Nick Shirley, who had just released a video alleging widespread fraud in state-funded social services. The post, from the Governor's Press Office account, depicted a figure peering into a daycare with cameras and the caption, "Hey, can I see your kids? Nick Shirley, right now." The image drew sharp criticism from Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a fellow Democrat, who described it during a Wednesday appearance on the AllIn Podcast as an inappropriate smear implying pedophilia.

Shirley's 40-minute video, shared on social media that same day, documented his team's visits to more than a dozen sites in Los Angeles and San Diego registered as daycares, hospices, and adult care facilities receiving taxpayer funds through programs like MediCal, California's version of Medicaid. Using public records from sources including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the California Department of Social Services, Shirley claimed to have uncovered over $170 million in fraudulent activity. He pointed to shell companies operating out...