Dems unite to boycott hearing on emerging threat facing America: 'Don't want to know the truth'

The Democratic side of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee dais was empty Wednesday as Republicans questioned witnesses at a hearing on "Exposing Fraud in America," prompting GOP lawmakers to accuse the minority of ducking a politically uncomfortable issue.

Otherwise, the Democratic side of the dais was vacant.

Fox News Digital reached out to every Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, but none responded by press time. Fox News Digital also reached out to Paul for his reaction.

Republicans and conservative commentators quickly criticized the Democrats' absence amid ongoing scrutiny of fraud cases in Minnesota, California and other states.

At one point, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, pointed out the elephant - or donkey - missing from the room.

When Paul turned to call on Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to offer his questions, Moreno said a Democrat is supposed to be given time to question witnesses after a Republican finishes.

"If there were a Democrat here, yes," Paul replied. "So, there's no Democrats present at a hearing about fraud," Moreno said, leading Paul to state for the record, "There doesn't appear to be a great deal of interest across the aisle."

The lack of attendance from the Democrats drew criticisms online.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., labeled the no-show Democrats "cowards" in an X message.

Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner asked Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., about the optics of Democrats' half-circle of empty seats on Wednesday.

"They don't want to know the truth about this. ... You look at these areas that have just basically turned a blind eye and have let people move forward with fraud," Blackburn said.

Blackburn previously introduced legislation that would make defrauding the federal government a denaturalizing and deportable offense, she said.

Florida political reporter Eric Daugherty commented that the Senate held an important "anti-taxpayer fraud meeting … with Nick Shirley and James O'Keefe, and … every single Democrat seat is empty."

"One hundred percent of Democrats on the committee were invited - 0% showed up. The party of fraud," Daugherty declared.

"When we talk about fraud, we are talking about money stolen from hardworking, law-abiding, taxpaying citizens," Shirley said.

"This issue has nothing to do with political parties, because no dollar says Republican or Democrat on it. When a fraudster commits fraud, he or she steals from all of us. The worst part is that fraud affects the most vulnerable and needy, as they rely the most on government services," he said, describing a 43-minute video he composed from touring such sites with Hoch in Minneapolis.

Shirley and Hoch's work later earned them a State of the Union invitation from Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn.

"Elon [Musk] was right when he said, 'The fraudsters always complain the loudest,'" he said.

"They campaign in this building (the Capitol) about freedom and protecting democracy, preventing disenfranchisement and how nobody is above the law," O'Keefe testified.

"But if those principles are not enforced when they are violated in broad daylight, they are not principles at all. They are slogans."