RSC Urges AG Blanche to Challenge ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act' Over First Amendment Concerns

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Members of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) today sent a letter to United States Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the Department of Justice to review and take legal action on First Amendment grounds against California's Assembly Bill 2624, which was signed into law last week by Governor Gavin Newsom. Watchdogs have dubbed the law the "Stop Nick Shirley Act" and the "Protect Fraudsters Act."

AB 2624 expands California's "Safe at Home" address confidentiality program to employees of nonprofits that serve people navigating the immigration system. RSC members warn this legislation raises serious First Amendment concerns, chilling investigative journalism by exposing reporters like Nick Shirley to legal liability simply for exposing fraud and potential violations of law, while also shielding taxpayer-funded organizations from accountability. Shirley's reporting uncovered empty, taxpayer-funded daycare centers in Minnesota and California.

The letter also ties the fight against AB 2624 to the broader effort to root out waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government, citing the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which has reportedly uncovered nearly $230 billion in fraud and enforced more than $55 billion through indictments, settlements, and civil penalties.

RSC Members are calling on the DOJ to review AB 2624 and pursue legal action in federal court to block its implementation on First Amendment grounds.

“This is classic Sacramento. Instead of going after fraud and demanding answers about where taxpayer dollars are going, they pass a law that could make it harder for people to expose it,” said Rep. James Gallagher (CA-01). “That’s completely backwards. Californians deserve to know where their money is going, and journalists should be able to follow the facts without Sacramento getting in the way.”

“Gavin Newsom just signed a law that would make it harder for journalists to investigate and expose fraud involving organizations that receive taxpayer dollars. This is a pattern in California: Sacramento has spent years weakening oversight, dismissing auditors, and making it harder to hold government and those who benefit from the status quo accountable. Nick Shirley’s reporting raised serious questions about alleged fraud. Instead of making it easier to investigate those allegations, Newsom signed a law that creates new legal risks around reporting and publishing information about the people involved. That is exactly backwards,” said Rep. Vince Fong (CA-20). “The Department of Justice should take a hard look at whether this law chills protected investigative journalism and violates the First Amendment rights of journalists and the public’s right to know how their tax dollars are being spent.”

“The Stop Nick Shirley Act shows exactly how far Governor Newsom and California Democrats will go to protect fraudsters,” said RSC Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11). “They are punishing the journalists who expose wrongdoing to shield the institutions responsible for it. We appreciate the DOJ's attention to this potential chilling of our First Amendment."

“Democrat leaders across the country have not only let criminals steal taxpayer dollars, but in states like California, leadership is encouraging fraud, penalizing those trying to expose the rampant theft, and threatening our unalienable First Amendment Rights that the government has the duty to protect,” said RSC Vice Chair Ben Cline (VA-06). “I am proud to join my colleagues in our efforts to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, protect your First Amendment rights, and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”

“California’s cynical and corrupt politicians have, once again, shown they will do anything to protect the theft and grift of American taxpayer dollars into their state,” said RSC Budget Task Force Chair Beth Van Duyne (TX-24). “The Stop Nick Shirley Act passed by a California mob of Left-wing extremists is a direct assault on fundamental, constitutionally protected rights of a free press because investigative journalists exposed billions of dollars of state sanctioned corruption.”