Trump Gives YouTuber Nick Shirley a $10000 Check Amid Fraud Probe

A viral investigation into Minnesota day care centers drew renewed attention when President Donald Trump presented conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley with a $10000 check from the Oval Office. The presentation accompanied the White House launch of a $25 million initiative designed to reward people whose tips help authorities investigate and prosecute suspected government fraud.

The program, called the Whistleblower Incentive Program, or WHIP, allows anyone to submit information through Fraud.gov. The Justice Department will oversee the initiative, and eligible tipsters whose information helps secure a fraud conviction could receive up to $30,000, according to the White House.

Trump said he believes the financial incentives could discourage wrongdoing.

"keep a lot of people honest." Trump said of the incentive program.

Shirley attracted national attention with a 42-minute video published in December 2025. The video alleged that nearly a dozen Minnesota day care centers were receiving public funds without providing services in return.

Following the video's online spread, state officials and Homeland Security agents visited some of the facilities. However, a CBS News review of state records found that all but two of the centers had active licenses and that regulators had visited the licensed facilities within the preceding six months.

The review identified dozens of citations involving safety and other violations but found no recorded evidence of fraud as of December 30, 2025. Those findings described the status of the available records at that time and did not establish that every allegation had been resolved.

One facility featured in Shirley's video, Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, subsequently closed in January, according to state records. Minnesota officials said the center received $1.9 million through the state's Child Care Assistance Program during fiscal year 2025.

Separately, a woman who appeared in one of Shirley's videos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The source did not identify her by name or specify whether her case involved Quality Learning Center.