California lawmakers clashed at the state capitol in Sacramento after independent journalist Nick Shirley filmed a video published this week questioning Assembly Bill 2624, which California Republicans have dubbed the “Nick Shirley Act” during interviews with Democratic and Republican legislators about the scope of the bill.
“If this bill is going to pass, instead of going after the fraudsters, they’re going to go after the people who do it and decriminalize it,” Shirley said in a video posted on his YouTube page.
The video focuses on California Assembly Bill 2624, authored by Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, which seeks to ban the public posting of personal information about people connected to immigrant support services, including nonprofit organizations, legal clinics and health care providers.
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Freelance journalist Nick Shirley speaks during a roundtable discussion in the State Dining Room of the White House on October 8, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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“I think that’s a misinterpretation of the bill, but I’m happy to talk to you more about it,” Sen. Sasha Renee Perez, D-Alhambra, told Shirley when pressed on whether the measure would restrict fraud investigations.
Legislature also investigated Shirley’s video because Congresswoman Bonta is married to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Shirley repeatedly framed that relationship as a potential conflict of interest while questioning lawmakers about whether the bill would make it harder to uncover fraud involving taxpayer-funded immigration services.
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“I really don’t think this bill violates the First Amendment,” Perez said when asked about the constitutional concerns.
“We have an edge [legislative] Counselors and lawyers who talk to us about this. Constitutionality is really important to work.”
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Shirley’s video showed several encounters in which lawmakers refused to discuss the bill in detail, with some saying they were unfamiliar with its content or that it needed further review.
“I have to read the bill,” said Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, after Shirley told him he had signed the measure.
One of the most significant exchanges took place after Sen. Scott Weiner, D-San Francisco, was contacted and asked for his opinion on the legislation.
“I think you’re a psycho scam artist,” Winner said into the camera before closing the door on Shirley.
Shirley also contacted Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, and asked directly about the legislation.
“I don’t know anything about that,” Rivas told Shirley before closing the door.
“That shows you everything you need to know,” Nick Shirley said, after Rivas ignored the rest of his questions. “These people won’t even answer questions.”
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Nick Shirley, a conservative activist, holds a film demonstration against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests on October 22, 2025 in New York, New York.
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Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, who appeared in a video opposing the measure, argued that the bill’s language could affect independent reporting on alleged fraud.
“You read the bill, and you realize it’s against the First Amendment,” DeMaio said. “It criminalizes citizen investigative journalists who capture video and expose fraud.”
He said, ‘The bill was made for that. “It’s designed to be a secret, to keep the public from knowing what’s going on. They don’t want to end their fraud racket.”
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Fox News reached out to the California Democrat for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Original article source: Nick Shirley took on California Democrats by pushing for First Amendment rights in the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’.
