Washington AG claims independent journalists investigating daycare fraud are 'racist,' 'random vigilantes'

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has escalated his criticism of independent journalists and online investigators who have been probing allegations of daycare fraud tied to Somali-run childcare providers. He described the independent journalists behind the viral investigations as “random vigilantes,” accusing them of “harassment,” and claiming that the reporters are “racist.”

In new comments to KOMO News on Monday, Brown said fraud allegations must be taken seriously, but claimed methods being used by some independent reporters are crossing a dangerous line. “The allegations of fraud… is something we have to take seriously and make sure that there’s no fraud there. If there is fraud, people should be held accountable for it,” Brown said. “But what was really concerning was the level of harassment, sort of random vigilante people… showing up on people’s doorsteps like that would make all of us scared. Some of the rhetoric around it, frankly, is racist, and sort of the hate that you’ve seen generated around that… is an area of concern to me as well.”

Brown’s remarks follow his earlier official statement, obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, in which he said his office had been contacted by members of the Somali community after reports that home-based daycare providers were being “harassed” and accused of fraud, with little to no fact-checking.” In that statement, Brown warned that “showing up on someone’s porch” and “filming minors” was “unsafe and potentially dangerous,” and urged anyone experiencing threats or harassment to contact law enforcement or the state’s Hate Crimes & Bias Incident Hotline.

Responding to Brown’s earlier statement, US Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote that “ANY state official who chills or threatens to chill a journalist’s 1A rights will have some ‘splainin to do,” noting that the AGO’s Civil Rights Division “takes potential violations of 18 USC § 242 seriously! Govern yourselves accordingly!”

The political clash has intensified as independent journalists investigate fraud in Washington’s childcare subsidy system, similar to the Minnesota daycare fraud scandals. Washington based journalists reported that people inside residences denied operating any childcare business, despite state records showing the locations receiving large sums in taxpayer funds.

Brown told KOMO he believes allegations can be reviewed while still defending due process, adding that his office does not have “original law enforcement jurisdiction,” and emphasizing that criminal allegations belong with local or federal law enforcement.

The Attorney General’s latest comments follow a similar statement from Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson condemning what she called a “surveillance campaign” promoted by “extremist influencers,” remarks that also drew warnings from federal civil rights officials that citizen journalism is protected speech.