“Democrats want to make it illegal for citizen investigative journalists to post video evidence of fraud.”
California State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio blasted Assembly Democrats for voting down his motion to kill AB 2624 (Bonta) — a controversial bill dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” that would make it a crime for citizen investigative journalists to expose fraud by posting videos to the internet.
“Democrats just voted to keep alive a bill that would make it illegal for citizen investigative journalists to post video evidence of fraud,” said DeMaio. “Instead of fixing waste, fraud, and abuse, they’re trying to punish the people exposing it.”
AB 2624 comes amid the rise of independent journalists like Nick Shirley, whose viral videos have documented fraud and abuse in government-funded programs using on-the-ground reporting.
DeMaio has warned that the bill’s language could be used to force the removal of publicly recorded videos and impose financial penalties on those who publish them.
“AB 2624 would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence — even if it captures misconduct in plain view. That’s not about public safety — it’s about protecting powerful interests.”
DeMaio said his motion to strike the bill from the file was intended to stop what he described as a dangerous attack on transparency before it could move forward this year. But Democrats rejected that effort, allowing the proposal to move forward.
“If this bill moves forward, it sends a chilling message: expose corruption, and you could be punished. I will continue leading the fight to defeat AB 2624 to defend transparency and the First Amendment.”