Trump launches $25 million fraud-tip program, pays YouTuber $10,000
What's new: The Justice Department described smaller awards of $10,000 to $30,000, differing from Trump's claim of an unlimited 1% commission.
President Donald Trump on Oct. 20 launched a federal program to pay people who help uncover fraud in US government programs, with the Treasury Department committing $25 million to the effort. In an Oval Office event, Trump said tipsters could receive a 1% commission on recovered fraud and named conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley as the first recipient. A White House official said Shirley would get $10,000. The Justice Department, however, described the initiative more narrowly, saying awards would range from $10,000 to $30,000 for tips that lead to criminal charges and would be granted at its discretion. Shirley's Minnesota daycare fraud videos have been praised by the administration, though state officials disputed parts of his claims as misleading.