Citizen Journalist Descends On Ohio, Immediately Finds ‘First Signs Of Potentially Massive Somali Fraud’

The “Nick Shirley Effect” has begun, with Muckraker founder Anthony Rubin on the ground in Columbus, Ohio, home to the second-largest Somali community in the U.S., investigating daycare centers. This development comes less than a day after Ohio attorney Mehek Cooke said federal investigators are examining allegations that elements within Ohio’s Somali community defrauded millions of dollars from the state’s Medicaid system.

“The first Somali-affiliated daycare facility that we knocked on after landing in Columbus, Ohio, today did not answer,” Rubin wrote on X, alongside a video showing the daycare center, Great Minds Learning Academy.

Rubin continued, “A neighbor across the street told us, ‘I’ve never seen anybody come out of the building or go into the building.'”

FIRST SIGNS OF MASSIVE POTENTIAL SOMALI FRAUD IN COLUMBUS, OHIO

The first Somali-affiliated daycare facility that we knocked after landing in Columbus, Ohio today did not answer.

A neighbor across the street told us, “I’ve never seen nobody come out the building or go in the… pic.twitter.com/zywy9lPDMw

— Muckraker.com (@realmuckraker) December 30, 2025

On Sunday, Breitbart News published an interview with Ohio attorney Mehek Cooke, who alleges that members of the Somali community in Ohio have defrauded millions of dollars from the state’s Medicaid program. She said that authorities at the highest levels are investigating “what is happening in Ohio.”

.@MehekCooke: Taxpayer-funded medical fraud is also widespread in Ohio.

“We really need to investigate the Medicaid system and how much it’s increased since the Somalian population came.” pic.twitter.com/8pJCzjK4qo

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 28, 2025

Rubin’s on-the-ground reporting comes as tech bros have pitched a grant funding program to “unlock tens of investigative journalists” to cover widespread fraud in Democratic-run states. The idea follows Shirley’s investigation into Somali-linked daycare fraud in Minneapolis, which shocked the nation over the weekend with an investigative video that has garnered 125 million views.  

I trust @Cernovich instincts here. If he thinks a grant program can unlock tens of investigative journalists to uncover the breadth and scale of California’s fraud, many people will support it.

Cerno? https://t.co/yoWfLMV8Lb

— Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) December 28, 2025

We assess that public sentiment toward DOGE could reverse after the Democratic Party’s propaganda machine vilified the effort this year, even as evidence of fraud, waste, and abuse was plainly visible. As on-the-ground reporting expands in corrupt blue states, the scale of the alleged fraud is likely to broaden, increasing the likelihood of a renewed push of DOGE.