Unnamed Source in Viral Minnesota Somali Fraud Video Is Right-Wing Lobbyist Who Called Muslims “Demons”

A right-wing lobbyist, David Hoch, has been revealed to be the "unnamed source" in a viral video alleging Somali-owned day care centers in Minneapolis were committing fraud. Nick Shirley, a YouTube influencer, had initially credited the whistleblower by name only but later identified Hoch as his source.

Shirley's video, which garnered millions of views, portrayed Hoch as a concerned citizen who observed fraudulent activity at several day cares near his office. However, it has now been revealed that Hoch is a lobbyist with connections to the Minnesota state House and has made derogatory statements about Muslims and Somalis in the past.

Hoch received information about specific centers from a Republican staffer, Joe Marble, as part of an investigation into Somali-owned businesses. Marble works for the Minnesota House Republicans and was a colleague of Hoch's in elementary and high school.

The Trump administration has taken action over concerns raised by Shirley, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announcing that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators are conducting a massive investigation on childcare centers across the country.

Critics argue that this move is part of a broader effort to suppress truth and challenge free speech in the face of authoritarianism. The Intercept has warned that far-right figures like Donald Trump are using their power to dismantle independent journalism, while corporate news outlets have become accessories in this effort.

As the situation continues to unfold, concerns are growing about the ability of media outlets to hold those in power accountable for their actions.

OMG just heard about David Hoch being revealed as the whistleblower in that viral video and I'm SHOOK ! Who knew he was a lobbyist with ties to the state House?! And making derogatory comments about Muslims and Somalis? That's like, super shady . The whole thing reeks of propaganda and I'm so worried about free speech . As if we didn't have enough issues with fake news, now it seems like corporations are just getting in on the action too . We need to be vigilant and fact-check everything before we start spreading rumors or jumping to conclusions . And what's up with Homeland Security taking action? Is this really about stopping "fraud" or is it just a clever ploy to silence Somali-owned businesses?!

just saw this crazy video about somali owned daycare centers in minneapolis and i'm still trying to wrap my head around it like how did david hoch go from being a whistleblower to being revealed as a lobbyist with ties to the mn state house? what's even crazier is that homeland security secretary kristi noem is now overseeing an investigation into these centers, which some are saying is just another example of trump admin trying to suppress truth and chill free speech anyone else think this whole thing is fishy?

omg can't believe how quickly right-wing propaganda turns into "investigations"... like who's really behind these childcare center shenanigans? and btw, isn't it hilarious that a lobbyist with ties to the state house is suddenly the "whistleblower" in this whole thing? meanwhile, Homeland Security is just conducting "massive investigations" across the country... guess what that really means...

omg I am literally SHAKING with rage right now!!! how could Nick Shirley do this?! he goes from being some kind of hero to being a joke and David Hoch is just the WORST! I mean, who tries to pass off themselves as some kinda whistleblower when they're just a lobbyist with an agenda? and now all these childcare centers are getting investigated because of it... what's next?! people losing their jobs over nothing?! this whole thing reeks of politics and power playing. Homeland Security is taking action, but honestly, shouldn't they be focusing on the REAL issues instead of chasing after these wild goose chases? the Intercept is right, corporate news outlets are in on it too... how can we even trust anything anymore?!

This whole thing is super sketchy! I'm so disappointed that David Hoch was outed as the "unnamed source" in Nick Shirley's viral video. It just goes to show how easily misinformation can spread and hurt people's lives.

I mean, who gives a lobbyist info about specific day care centers? That sounds like some serious investigative journalism gone wrong. And now we're seeing this massive investigation by ICE, which is basically going to scare off minority-owned businesses even more.

It's crazy that corporate news outlets are accused of just being accessories in all this. I don't think it's okay for them to ignore the truth and play along with far-right agendas. We need journalists who are willing to speak truth to power, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.

OMG, this is just insane! Like, who gets away with this? David Hoch's whole thing was totally fabricated and he's some lobbyist dude connected to the state house... what a total scam artist . And now everyone's freaking out because of some viral video that was completely misrepresented.

And can we talk about Nick Shirley for a sec? Like, what's wrong with this guy? He goes around accusing people of fraud without even fact-checking anything and then he gets to be all "oh, I'm some kinda hero" . And now the government's taking action... like, isn't that just more proof that this was all a setup?

And honestly, can we please talk about the media? Like, how did they get it so wrong? The Intercept is right, corporate news outlets are totally in bed with these far-right figures and they're just regurgitating whatever nonsense they spew. It's like... what happened to actual journalism?

OMG u guys ! David Hoch is literally a lobbyist with ties to politicians & made some super hurtful comments about Muslims & Somalis?! Like, what's up with that? Nick Shirley got played by the lobby & now it's all over the news . Homeland Security is investigating childcare centers because of a viral video that turned out to be totally fake. I'm so worried about the state of journalism right now . Can't we just get the facts without the drama & fear-mongering?

This whole thing is super concerning . A lobbyist with a history of making racist comments gets outed as the source behind a viral video that claimed Somali-owned day care centers were committing fraud . It's wild how quickly the narrative changed when people found out about Hoch's actual connections and past statements .

The fact that Homeland Security is now investigating childcare centers across the country because of this video is just mind-boggling . And for what? To silence critics who are questioning the credibility of a lobbyist with an agenda? It feels like we're seeing more and more cases where powerful people are using their influence to shape the narrative and suppress dissenting voices .

As a society, we need to be really careful about how we consume information and who we trust . The lines between fact and fiction can get blurred so quickly, and it's up to us to keep questioning and demanding more transparency from those in power .

[Image of a person with a shocked face and a "Oh no!" bubble above their head]

[GIF of a news anchor's face with a red "X" marked through it]

[Sarcastic meme with a picture of a day care center: "Because what every parent needs is an ICE raid"]

[A screenshot of Nick Shirley's YouTube video with a big fat lie stamp over it]

[Image of David Hoch with a " lobbyist alert" flag on him and the words "Not who you thought he was!" written in bold letters]

[GIF of a person holding a magnifying glass, looking for hidden truths behind corporate news outlets]

omg what's next a full-blown conspiracy theory fest think Hoch just made the ultimate "i'm a concerned citizen" face when he was actually a lobbyist with a beef against Muslims but seriously, who needs a whistleblower when you can just be a lobbyist trying to get under people's skin? like the Intercept is saying corporate news outlets are in on it too... that's like accusing your neighbor of stealing your pizza while still eating it yourself

I'm getting really worried about this situation . The fact that David Hoch was revealed as the "unnamed source" and had a history of making derogatory comments is super concerning. It seems like his intentions were not pure at all . I think it's great that Nick Shirley initially didn't reveal Hoch's name, but now that we know, it makes us question everything he said .

The investigation by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is a bit suspicious to me . Is this really just about fighting fraud or is there something more going on? I think we should be careful not to rush into conclusions here . We need to make sure that we're not infringing on people's rights to free speech and truth .

This is getting super sketchy! A lobbyist is being used to whip up fear and hatred towards innocent people just to get attention and views on his YouTube video... meanwhile, he's got some pretty shady connections himself. I mean, who needs evidence of fraud when you can just spread rumors about a group of ppl? It's not right that the Trump administration is jumping on this bandwagon and trying to silence the truth. We should be focusing on real issues, not spreading hate like this. And what's with the corporate news outlets not doing their job properly? They're supposed to hold those in power accountable, but instead they're just echoing the same toxic rhetoric...

This is just getting ridiculous . I'm so disappointed that a lobbyist can just come out of the woodwork and ruin people's lives like this. A YouTube influencer decides to make a video, and suddenly millions of people are jumping on the bandwagon without even doing their due diligence? It's like they're just drinking the Kool-Aid .

And now we find out that the whistleblower is actually a right-wing lobbyist with some seriously questionable history . I'm not buying into this 'concerned citizen' narrative for a second. This whole thing reeks of politics and power struggles .

What's really concerning me, though, is how this is being used to silence independent journalists and challenge free speech . We need to be careful about who we trust and make sure that our media outlets aren't getting caught up in the spin cycle . This is a wake-up call for all of us to fact-check and question everything .

I'm getting so tired of these viral videos and YouTube influencers stirring up drama without doing their homework. Nick Shirley's video was a perfect example - he just picked up some info from a Republican staffer and ran with it, without even bothering to fact-check. And now we find out that the "whistleblower" is actually some right-wing lobbyist who's got an agenda of his own

And what really gets me is how quickly the Trump administration jumped on this bandwagon, using it as a pretext for their own anti-immigrant agenda. I mean, come on - can't they just let independent journalism do its job without trying to silence critics? It's like they're trying to suppress truth and free speech under the guise of "national security"

I'm not buying it. We need more fact-checking and less speculation from influencers who are only looking for clicks and views. This is a perfect example of how social media can be used to manipulate public opinion without any real substance behind it

I'm so worried about what's going on with these childcare centers . I mean, it seems like someone made a mistake and now there's this huge investigation going on. But what really gets me is that the guy who first exposed the problem, Nick Shirley, he wasn't supposed to be the one doing the digging in the first place! He was just trying to do some journalism and get to the bottom of things.

And then you find out that the person he got info from was a lobbyist with ties to the Republican party? It's like, whoa. That doesn't smell right to me . I don't think we should be stifling free speech just because someone makes a mistake or gets caught up in some controversy. We need more truth and transparency, not less!