The Democratic members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee largely boycotted a hearing Wednesday focused on exposing fraud in America, leading Republican lawmakers to accuse the minority of evading a critical issue. The Republican side of the dais was occupied, while the Democratic section remained vacant for the majority of the proceedings.
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the ranking member of the committee, was the only Democrat present at the opening statements but reportedly left before questioning began. The absence of the other Democrats on the panel, including Sens. John Fetterman, Maggie Hassan, Richard Blumenthal, Ruben Gallego, Andy Kim, and Elissa Slotkin, drew swift condemnation from Republicans and conservative commentators.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., criticized the Democrats' absence, stating, "They don’t want to know the truth about this." She added that some areas have "turned a blind eye and have let people move forward with fraud." Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, noted the empty seats, remarking to Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., that "there doesn't appear to be a great deal of interest across the aisle."
Witnesses at the hearing included Nick Shirley and James O’Keefe, who presented findings from their investigations into alleged fraudulent activities. Shirley discussed his work touring Minneapolis day care centers, describing the issue as money stolen from "hardworking, law-abiding, taxpaying citizens." He emphasized that fraud affects everyone, particularly the most vulnerable who rely on government services.
Shirley's reporting partner, David Hoch, was mentioned in relation to their findings, which led to an invitation to the State of the Union from Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn. Shirley also referenced recent events in Minnesota, including the governor's decision not to seek a third term and significant fraud cases.
James O’Keefe testified about his team's findings in Los Angeles, where journalists recorded exchanges involving election petition circulators allegedly offering incentives for ballot signatures. O'Keefe stated, "If those principles are not enforced when they are violated in broad daylight, they are not principles at all. They are slogans."
Earlier reporting by Fox News Digital indicated that Sen. Marsha Blackburn has accused former Special Counsel Jack Smith of illegally obtaining text messages from 44 members of Congress, alleging a violation of law and abuse of power.