Trump and Vance Launch $25 Million Fraud Whistleblower Program, Spotlighting Nick Shirley
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday unveiled a $25 million program to reward people whose tips help expose fraud against federal programs, appearing in the Oval Office with Nick Shirley, the independent journalist whose Minnesota day care videos drew national attention.
The White House said that under the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, anyone who submits a tip leading to a fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action can receive up to $30,000, with the Justice Department administering the program, the Associated Press reported.
Trump described the rewards in broader terms during the event. “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%,” he said, according to Fox News. Fox reported that Trump said the commission would be subject to applicable laws and rules, and that the president’s description differed from the payout structure a White House official had outlined in advance.
Trump as Arbiter
Trump said he would personally settle disputes when more than one person claims credit for the same tip. “I will be the arbitrator of all of these decisions,” he said, according to the AP. “It’ll be a binding arbitration.” He told reporters he would decide “expeditiously and fairly” and that he would be “very generous,” according to Fox News and The Hill.
Trump said tips can be submitted through fraud.gov, The Hill reported. According to Fox News, simply submitting an allegation would not qualify someone for a reward, and Trump said journalists could also take part, subject to the program’s rules and their employers’ approval.
The program builds on the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which Trump created in March and placed under Vance’s leadership. “The president has said it must stop. It is stopping. And if you want to help us stop it, you get to share in the rewards,” Vance said.
Shirley’s Role
Shirley, 24, became widely known after posting a video in December 2025 questioning whether several Somali-run day care centers in Minnesota that received federal money were operating legitimately. The White House credited his reporting with helping spur a surge of FBI and Department of Homeland Security resources into the state, followed by investigations, arrests and new charges, Fox News reported. Trump praised him at the event, saying, “He’s done an amazing job.”
The AP reported that inspectors had said the centers were operating as expected, though investigations and arrests followed. In July, Fahima Mahamud pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States over inflated meal reimbursement claims at her child care center, according to the Justice Department. The White House says Mahamud appeared in Shirley’s video.
The Washington Post reported before the event that Shirley would be presented with a $10,000 check, and The Hill, citing Fox News, said he was the program’s first award recipient. The AP noted that no check was handed to Shirley while journalists were present. At the event, Shirley said fraud steals from poor and needy people.
The announcement is the latest step in the administration’s campaign against improper payments in federal benefit programs.\
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