Trump DOJ’s Fraud Snitch Scheme Instantly Backfires
The president’s offer of cash rewards for exposing fraud didn’t go to plan.
The Department of Justice’s new fraud whistleblower scheme has instantly backfired, with Americans bombarding it with demands to investigate President Donald Trump.
The DOJ is offering members of the public up to $30,000 if they expose criminal fraud involving federal programs. Trump, 80, promised whistleblowers a 1 percent commission on wrongdoing they uncovered, saying: “I think that will be amazing because the kind of money that’s been stolen is trillions from this country.”
But the controversial scheme’s announcement immediately provoked ridicule on social media.
The DOJ’s social media post drew ridicule.
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“I’d like to report Donald Trump, Donald Trump Junior, Eric Trump, Ivanka, Trump, every Cabinet member that is currently sitting, and I’ll get back to you with the rest,” wrote one user.
Another, Laurie, shared an image accusing the Trump family of profiting from cryptocurrency and overseas business deals. “I’d like to report this guy. You can put the $30K on my X card,” she wrote.
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The mockery kept coming. “I would like to report a man named Donald Trump,” another user wrote. “Will we get money if we find fraud within the WH?” asked Andrea Sutton.
Just one of dozens of responses that suggested Trump himself should be investigated.
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The backlash accompanies mounting distaste over the Trump family’s business interests and potential conflicts of interest involving the presidency.
A Reuters investigation in June calculated that the Trump family has made about $2.3 billion from cryptocurrency ventures, while outside investors faced an estimated $2.3 billion in losses, including paper losses.
The family’s growing overseas business empire, including dealings with foreign interests seeking favorable treatment from Washington, was earlier documented by the Associated Press. The White House has denied that Trump’s business interests influence government decisions.
Some responses suggested the scheme was unconstitutional.
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And a March New York Times investigation found that Trump had granted clemency to more than 70 allies, donors and others convicted in fraud cases across his two terms.
The Justice Department says its new program provides initial payments of $10,000 to $30,000 when qualifying information results in criminal charges. Participants may also remain eligible for additional rewards through other programs.
Backed by $25 million from the Treasury Department, the initiative is part of a wider crackdown overseen by Vice President JD Vance.
But Trump also faced awkward questions from traditional media during the scheme’s Oval Office unveiling.
Trump, flanked by Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz (2L), Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Andrew Ferguson (R) and Conservative online influencer Nick Shirley (L), as he makes a joint appearance with Vice President JD Vance (2R) in the Oval Office to announce the whistleblower program to encourage the public to report alleged fraud.
Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS
A reporter challenged the president on why his proposed 1 percent reward was any better than existing provisions under the False Claims Act, which offers whistleblowers far larger shares of recovered money. “At 1 percent, people will make millions and millions of dollars,” Trump replied.
Vance also defended the initiative, arguing that it covers fraud outside the scope of the existing law.
Trump separately suggested he could personally settle disputes over who deserved the money, although the DOJ says awards remain at its discretion.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Justice Department for comment.
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