WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday announced a $25 million program to encourage the public to blow the whistle on suspected fraud in the U.S. government as they ramp up efforts to end the abuse of federal programs and dollars.
The White House said that under the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, or WHIP, anyone who submits a tip to fraud.gov that leads to a fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action is eligible to receive up to $30,000, and that the Justice Department will administer the program.
During the announcement, Trump said payments will work out to a 1% commission on the dollar amount of fraud the tip helps uncover. Trump also said he will decide who gets to collect reward money in cases where more than one person claims to have provided the tip.
“I will be the arbitrator of all these decisions,” Trump said during an Oval Office event Tuesday with Vance and other administration officials. “It'll be a binding arbitration.”
Trump said journalists could participate in the program.
The Republican president has undertaken an aggressive effort to eliminate fraud in government, establishing a task force on the topic in March and putting Vance in charge of it.
Critics have accused Trump and his family of profiting from the presidency through their many business ventures. The White House has countered by saying that Trump acts only with the best interests of the American people in mind.
Vance, who said...
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