Unnamed Source in Viral Minnesota Somali Fraud Video Is Right-Wing Lobbyist Who Called Muslims "Demons"

In his video alleging fraud at Somali-owned day care centers in Minneapolis, right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley was led around the city by a purported whistleblower called only “David.” Shirley — and outlets like Fox News that credulously picked up the influencer’s video — credited “David” by first name only.

While Shirley’s video portrays the man as a party interested in purported fraud because he observed day care centers near his office in downtown Minneapolis, David, it turns out, is actually a political operative with connections to the Minnesota state House.

Shirley’s main source is a lobbyist and one-time right-wing candidate for Minnesota attorney general whose full name is David Hoch. Accounts bearing his name have a long online history posting about the Somali community in Minnesota. A TikTok and a recently deleted Instagram account posted almost exclusively on the subject — including derogatory statements about Somalis and Muslims.

“EVERY Somali in MN is engaged in fraud. ALL of them,” Hoch posted on the now-deleted Instagram account.

In November, he posted, “Even the Blacks have had enough of the demon Muslims.”

Hoch’s last name was not given in Shirley’s video, but The Intercept identified him using information in the video itself cross-referenced with publicly available materials.

https://theintercept.com/2026/01/03/minnesota-fraud-video-somalis-nick-shirley-source/