Oct. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance announced a $25 million whistleblower program Tuesday that they said will pay cash to people who tip off the federal government about those committing fraud.
At the announcement at the Oval Office, Trump said he will be the sole arbitrator of who receives the payouts as part of the Justice Department's Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program.
"I will be the arbitrator of all of these decisions," Trump told reporters at the event, The Guardian reported. "In other words, I'll determine whether or not the person is deserving, and I will be very generous,believe me."
The program offers a 1% commission to those who provide a tip that leads to a successful conviction. Anyone can submit a tip to America.gov/fraud, Trump said.
The website said the program could lead to up to $30,000 as an award, but the president said Tuesday that there is "no limit." He also said the payouts only apply "if we recover the money."
"People will make millions of dollars by turning others in," he said, The Hill reported.
The Justice Department website, however, said that department has "sole discretion" in issuing the awards. Trump's actual role was not clear.
The program gave the first award to Nick Shirley, a conservative YouTuber who was also at the event Tuesday. Shirley's videos went viral earlier in 2026 after he accused Somali-run child-care centers in Minnesota of fraud.
Shirley's claims had largely been debunked,...
In a 2017 piece in The New York Times, voting expert Ari Berman wrote, “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed tactics that prevented blacks, Hispanics and other minority groups from voting. But fo...