'Misspelling was final straw': David Hoch reveals how one error led to Somali fraud investigation

David Hoch, the independent journalist featured in Nick Shirley's videos investigating Minnesota fraud claims, testified to lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. In a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee titled "Somali Scammers: Fighting Fraud in Minnesota and Beyond," Hoch explained what began his investigation as lawmakers hashed out the next steps in fighting the fraud claims. The alleged fraud stems from videos of YouTuber Nick Shirley filming daycare centres that appeared to be vacant. Hoch was alongside Shirley in the videos. Shirley alleged that millions of taxpayers' dollars are funding the empty daycare centers. Hoch said he passed daycares in Minnesota many times, and what struck him as odd was never seeing any footprints in the snow around daycare centres. Even more confusing to Hoch was that the daycare centres were located in industrial buildings in what he called "bad neighbourhoods." The Learing misspelling was the final straw for me. That's the spark that ignited my full-on investigation," Hoch said.