Fact Check: Did Kash Patel offer journalist Nick Shirley an FBI job?
WASHINGTON, DC: A rumor has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that FBI Director Kash Patel has offered a job to conservative influencer and independent journalist Nick Shirley at the Bureau, sparking speculation and prompting many to question the authenticity of the claim.
Here’s an analysis of the origins of the claim and a fact-check of the viral rumor.
Claim: Kash Patel offered Nick Shirley a job at the FBI
The rumor has been circulating on social media platforms, including X and Facebook, garnering hundreds of thousands of views.
The claim first originated from a Facebook post stating, “FBI Director Kash Patel has offered citizen investigator Nick Shirley a fast track to a job at the Bureau.”
"This young man has exceptional instincts," said Patel. "The FBI would be lucky to have him." "So far, he's taken down a Congresswoman, a Senator, and a Governor. I think he has what it takes."
The post went on to say, "Shirley rose to stardom earlier this year with his investigation into Minnesota's Medicaid fraud." Those commenting under the post also appear to believe the claim to be true.
Fact Check: The claim originated from a parody account
The claim, however, is false, as there are no official statements or reports supporting the rumor. A search on Google for the claim yielded no relevant results from any prominent news outlets reporting on a statement by Patel.
Moreover, the Facebook page that posted the claim is a parody account that describes itself in its bio as, ‘Nothing on this page is real.” The page has posted similar unverified and fake political claims for the sake of engagement.
Nick Shirley hits out at Gavin Newsom
Shirley gained national attention for exposing alleged daycare fraud in Minnesota last year.
His work alleged widespread fraud in Minnesota’s federally and state-funded programs. It exposed empty or minimally operational Somali-run daycares receiving millions in Child Care Assistance Program funds without providing services.
Recently, he launched a scathing attack on Gavin Newsom during his speech at CPAC on March 26, accusing the California governor of trying to smear him following his fraud investigations.
He framed the issue as part of a broader pattern where, according to him, exposing wrongdoing is being turned into controversy.
“Sometimes, a lot of times, non-controversial issues are becoming controversial inside of America,” he said, before listing examples: “If you take a look at the idea of deporting illegal migrants, that word is illegal. That should not be controversial. Or the idea that showing your ID to vote has become controversial. That’s not controversial either.”
