House Republicans Just Asked Todd Blanche to Crush Newsom’s ‘Stop Nick Shirley’ Law

That’s the right instinct. The First Amendment exists precisely for this situation — a state government attempting to criminalize the documentation of its own corruption. The ACLU has historically defended exactly these press freedom cases, though their willingness to apply their stated principles consistently when the journalist being targeted is exposing Democratic Party-aligned fraud organizations remains to be seen.

Independent Journalist, Nick Shirley, says he is willing to ‘test’
California’s AB 2624, the law commonly nicknamed the “Stop #NickShirley Act.” He claims the it was made to stop citizen journalists from filming and exposing organizations that get state tax money.#CALeg pic.twitter.com/CFwYCqS3Pz

— Publicity Agents (@TonyRayHarvey) August 26, 2026

What Todd Blanche does with the letter matters enormously. The DOJ has been filing suits against state laws that obstruct federal priorities across immigration, election integrity, and law enforcement cooperation. A state law that criminalizes investigative journalism into federally-funded fraud operations falls squarely within that pattern.

Gavin Newsom signed the Stop Nick Shirley Act. Nick Shirley is still filming. Nine House Republicans just asked the Attorney General of the United States to take it down. Good. Do it.