Fact Check: Did Nick Shirley find evidence against Ilhan Omar in Minnesota fraud case?

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: As the alleged Minnesota fraud case continues to spark debate, a viral social media post claimed that citizen journalist Nick Shirley said he has evidence against Rep. Ilhan Omar, proving her role in the fraud. The claim has drawn concern and criticism against the congresswoman, prompting a fact-check.

Claim: Nick Shirley found new evidence against Ilhan Omar

The claim surfaced on Facebook and alleged that Nick Shirley, at a press conference on Thursday, announced that he has obtained “concrete, irrefutable evidence” linking the Somalia-born congresswoman to the ongoing Minnesota Medicaid fraud investigation.

According to the post, Shirley said that the evidence “was easier than he’d hoped” to find and “proves beyond any doubt that Omar was the mastermind.” 

“This is proof,” Shirley allegedly said, holding a sealed plastic bag. “I’ve been investigating fraud for three days, and I know evidence when I dream it.”

The claim drew mixed reactions from online users, with many criticising Omar over her alleged involvement and calling for her deportation.

Meanwhile, a few others questioned the credibility of Shirley’s evidence and called for transparency into the proof, prompting a verification of the sensational rumor.

Fact Check: The claim originated as satire

However, there are no records of the independent journalist making such an announcement; hence, the claim is fabricated and exaggerated.

There was no such press conference where Shirley announced that he had obtained “concrete evidence” linking Omar to the ongoing Minnesota fraud investigation.

If Shirley had really conducted such a press conference and displayed the evidence, it would not go unreported by prominent news media outlets, but a search on Google for the claim yielded no such news reports.

An additional search on Shirley’s social media handles also does not include any post that supports the claim.

Moreover, the claim was posted by a popular Facebook parody account called ‘America’s Last Line Of Defense,’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘Nothing on this page is real.’

Ilhan Omar raises concerns over ICE monitoring Trump critics

The claim surfaced a week after Omar pressed the Department of Homeland Security to explain why an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent was present outside her town hall in Richfield, Minnesota, sparking concerns that the Trump administration is using ICE to monitor its critics. 

Omar also demanded that the DHS clarify whether federal agents have been used to monitor "any other activity" involving "local, state, or federal officials" in the state.