President Donald Trump announced the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program in the Oval Office on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, saying Americans who turn in fraud and help the government recover the money will be paid a 1% commission with no limit. “If you turn somebody in and you, let’s say, report, and you find a billion dollars, we are giving a commission to that person of 1%. It’s a lot of money,” Trump said. He added that journalists could take part, subject to applicable rules and their employers’ approval, and that he would personally arbitrate competing claims.
The Justice Department describes the program differently. In the department’s account, the program awards $10,000 to $30,000 for tips that lead to criminal charges, the Treasury Department is committing $25 million, and awards are issued at the department’s “sole discretion.” A White House official said a tip must result in a successful prosecution or government enforcement action; Trump said payment would be made “if we recover the money.” The White House pointed reporters to the president’s comments when asked to clarify. Tips are submitted at fraud.gov.
The first recipient named under the initiative was Nick Shirley, a 24-year-old conservative online influencer whose viral video alleging fraud at some childcare centers in Minnesota was amplified by senior administration officials. A White House official said Shirley would receive $10,000. “There’s never been an incentive for anyone to ever expose fraud,” Shirley said at the event. “When you expose fraud, you help save America.” Vice President JD Vance, who leads the president’s anti-fraud task force, said Shirley had “done more than anybody that I’ve met recently as a citizen journalist to uncover the fraud.” Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families has disputed some of Shirley’s claims as misleading and exaggerated; one Minneapolis woman whose childcare center Shirley profiled later pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
Full Zark News story: https://zarknews.com/trump-fraud-whistleblower-program-rewards/
Video: The White House
