Tipsheet

Steve Hilton Thanks Nick Shirley for His Work, As Newsom Turns a Blind Eye to CA Fraud

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  March 20, 2026 4:00 PM

Steve Hilton, a leading candidate for governor in California, thanked independent journalist and YouTuber Nick Shirley for exposing fraud in the Golden State, as Governor Gavin Newsom has taken to mocking him online and has yet to confirm or even deny the allegations he raised.

"So this is a message of appreciation for Nick Shirley," Hilton said. "Thank you. Thank you for what you're doing. Thank you for helping to expose the fraud here in California."

"I know why Gavin Newsom is attacking you for exposing the fraud. It's because Gavin Newsom is in on it," he said. "He's either in on it because the fraud is being siphoned off for his donors and cronies, or because the fraud is actually financing the Democrat political machine here in California. Here's my commitment. When I'm governor, I won't be attacking Nick Shirley for finding the fraud. I will be working with him to find it and to stop it so we can stop the theft of taxpayer money."

Hilton continues to lead in the polls as the state’s gubernatorial primary approaches on June 2, 2026. Democrats are fielding 10 candidates, with none heeding calls to drop out or emerging as a clear frontrunner.

In his latest video, Shirley claims to have uncovered $172 million in hospice fraud, highlighting the lavish lifestyles of alleged providers and exposing one location that reportedly trained individuals on how to carry out the scheme.