The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Liberal Politicians Played Dumb & got Re-Elected while Taxpayer Dollars Fed Ghost Daycares

Date: December 29, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson (Premiere Networks)

Episode Overview

In this explosive episode, Ben Ferguson dives into the unfolding fraud scandal in Minnesota, where taxpayer funds allegedly poured into “ghost” daycare centers. The episode critiques the state's Democratic leadership and mainstream media for their inaction, while spotlighting the investigative work of a young independent journalist that led to a viral exposé and an aggressive federal response. With high-profile figures calling for accountability, the podcast details the scale of the alleged fraud and its impact, and underscores the role of the Trump administration-appointee FBI Director, Kash Patel, in driving the investigation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Minnesota Somali Fraud Scandal Breaks Wide Open

[03:03 – 05:30]

• Ben Ferguson introduces the episode highlighting a major federal investigation into fraud involving Minnesota daycare centers, many with Somali ties.
• FBI Director Kash Patel confirms "the tip of a very large iceberg," as federal investigators target vast fraud in social services.
• Federal prosecutors estimate that fraud across multiple assistance programs in Minnesota totals billions of dollars.
• Schemes included fake daycares, ghost centers, Medicaid services, and more, all exploiting federal aid.

Notable Quote:

"The FBI director, Kash Patel, is confirming the FBI has surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs...just the tip of a very large iceberg." — Ben Ferguson, [03:50]

2. A YouTuber’s Investigative Reporting Exposes Systemic Fraud

[05:30 – 08:25]

• Nick Shirley, a 23-year-old YouTuber, posted a 42-minute investigative video showing supposedly operational, taxpayer-funded childcare centers that were empty and inactive.
• Shirley’s footage includes visits to the Minneapolis Quality Learning Center, which received $1.9 million in public funds in 2025 with no children present during regular hours.
• The exposé claims to have uncovered over $110 million in questionable payments in one day of investigation.
• Shirley’s video goes viral, receiving tens of millions of views and driving national outrage.

Notable Quote:

"A 23-year-old YouTuber who did the job that no one in the media was willing to do...over $110 million in questionable payments documented in a single day of investigating." — Ben Ferguson, [06:30]

3. Federal Crackdown Intensifies Amid National Attention

[05:30 – 10:55]

• FBI: $250 million fraud scheme dismantled, resulting in 78 indictments and 57 convictions to date.
• Scope of fraud now includes child care, health care, nutrition, and billing programs.
• Some convicted fraudsters face denaturalization and deportation.
• FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson suggest “fraud tourism”—with people coming to Minnesota simply to exploit its programs.

Notable Quote:

"Minnesota has become a magnet for fraud. So much so that we have developed a fraud tourism industry, people coming to our state purely to exploit and defraud its programs." — Joseph Thompson, U.S. Assistant Attorney (quoted by Ferguson), [13:20]

4. Political Reactions and Allegations of Complicity

[08:25 – 13:45]

• U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, Elon Musk, and Rep. Tom Emmer amplify the findings, demanding accountability and sweeping investigations.
• Ben Ferguson criticizes the mainstream media and Democratic officials for failing to act, suggesting complicity or willful ignorance.
• Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz appears evasive, deflecting blame onto Republicans despite full Democratic control of state government.
• Ferguson suggests fraud proceeds may have indirectly funded Democratic campaigns, asking, “What did Waltz know and when?”

Notable Quote:

“How is it that a 20-something who has a YouTube channel did more reporting on this fraud than the entire media conglomerate of the United States of America combined?” — Ben Ferguson, [10:55]

“The media was in on it...much of that money was coming back to support Democrats who were running for office.” — Ben Ferguson, [13:46]

5. The Trump Administration’s DOJ and FBI Take Center Stage

[13:45 – 15:15]

• Emphasizes that the aggressive response from the FBI and DOJ, led by Trump-appointee Kash Patel, sets a new tone compared to the previous administration.
• Ferguson credits the administration for prioritizing rooting out fraud, contrasting it with perceived inaction by the Biden administration.

Notable Quote:

"That's why Donald Trump put him [Kash Patel] in charge. And one thing's for sure, the President has honed in on this fraud and going to do everything he can to stop it." — Ben Ferguson, [15:00]

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Nick Shirley’s undercover work:

  "Can I put my son in a daycare here? Can I speak to someone? No, I don’t know. No."
  — Nick Shirley, reenacting his exchange at a ghost center [08:00]

• On the mainstream media’s failure:

  "He did what the media refused to do. Which is the second part of this story that everyone should be asking questions about."
  — Ben Ferguson, [10:36]

• On fraud’s wide scale:

  “Minnesota's assistant U.S. attorney said fraud involving Medicaid services likely reached more than $9 billion. Fraud is not small, it isn't isolated. The magnitude cannot be overstated. It's a staggering industrial scale fraud."
  — Ben Ferguson quoting a source, [09:20]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:03] Fraud numbers and funding outlined; introduction to the Minnesota scandal
• [05:30] The investigative video goes viral; Nick Shirley’s findings detailed
• [08:25] National figures react; local officials' response and deflection
• [10:36] Media and political establishment criticized
• [13:46] Allegations of political complicity and systemic failure
• [15:00] FBI and Trump administration’s response highlighted

Tone & Delivery

Ben Ferguson is urgent, direct, and often confrontational, challenging mainstream media and Democratic officials while positioning himself as a truth-teller. He highlights the outrage and national implications with a tone of incredulity that a young independent journalist uncovered what established watchdogs missed or ignored.

This episode is a critical, pointed breakdown of what Ben Ferguson presents as political and media failures leading to massive taxpayer loss in Minnesota, only curtailed thanks to the efforts of outsiders and an aggressive federal response. It is both a condemnation of the status quo and a call for accountability at the highest levels.