Independent journalist Nick Shirley says he has been hit with a wave of death threats and harassment — including phone calls to members of his family — after releasing a viral video exposing large-scale fraud at publicly funded daycare centers in Minnesota.

Shirley described the threats during a Dec. 31 appearance on the PBD Podcast, saying he was explicitly warned that he would be “Kirked,” a reference to the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. According to Shirley, the threats escalated rapidly after his investigation gained national attention online.

“They are saying, like, ‘Kirked — you’re going to be Kirked,’” Shirley told host Patrick Bet-David. “That’s what they’re saying — like, you’re next.”

Shirley said the intimidation has not been limited to online harassment. He claimed that callers have contacted members of his family directly, including his younger sister, a development that visibly rattled him during the interview.

“I honestly feel bad for my family,” Shirley said. “We didn’t do anything wrong, and yet you guys are coming after me like I’m some sort of villain.”

The backlash follows Shirley’s investigation into several Minnesota daycare centers that receive public funding. In his video, Shirley alleged that multiple locations appeared largely empty during operating hours despite collecting substantial taxpayer dollars. One site, he claimed, received roughly $4 million in public funds.

Shirley has repeatedly stressed that his reporting was not politically motivated.

“I didn’t make this a right-or-left issue,” he said. “I just showed you guys that fraud was happening.”

Minnesota officials have pushed back on the claims. During a Dec. 29 news conference, Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said state inspections had not uncovered evidence of fraud at the facilities highlighted in the video.

“We are aware of a video that’s being circulated that has gained local and national attention about childcare centers in Minnesota,” Brown said. “While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously.”

Despite the state’s denial of wrongdoing, the controversy appears to have prompted federal action. On Dec. 30, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it would halt childcare payments to Minnesota, a move that came days after Shirley’s video spread widely online.

The decision to suspend payments underscores the gravity of the allegations, even as officials dispute Shirley’s conclusions. It also raises questions about oversight of publicly funded childcare programs and how alleged whistleblowers are treated when they bring uncomfortable claims to light.

For Shirley, the threats have cast a dark shadow over what he says was an effort to expose financial misconduct.

“My little sister is getting phone calls,” he said. “I’m like, why are you guys doing this?”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)