Trump offers 1% fraud-tip commission, says journalists can also collect

President Donald Trump launched a program paying people who report fraud and corruption in federal funds a commission of 1% of the money recovered, and said journalists can also benefit.

President Donald Trump announced in the Oval Office on Oct. 20 a new whistleblower incentive program that will pay a commission to people who report fraud and corruption involving taxpayer dollars. Trump said all Americans, including journalists, can take part.

"If you turn somebody in and you, let's say, report, and you find $1 billion, we are giving a commission to that person of 1%. It's a lot of money," Trump said. The commission will come from money the government recovers and will have no cap.

Trump to decide

Tips will be submitted through fraud.gov, where a "report fraud" tab leads to an AI chatbot and reports are forwarded to the relevant federal office. Trump said he would decide who receives payouts: "I will be the arbitrator of all of these decisions." He said payments would be made immediately, without waiting for a criminal charge or conviction.

Vice President JD Vance, who chairs the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, said, "Our plan is not to limit this just to criminal prosecution." The first award, $10,000, went to conservative influencer Nick Shirley for his 2025 investigation into allegedly fake Somali-owned childcare centers in Minnesota.

The existing False Claims Act gives people who report fraud against federal contracts 15% to 30% of the money recovered. The task force says it has found $260.7 billion in fraud, waste and corruption since January 2025, but news organizations say there is not enough public information to verify the figure.

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