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The Justice Department’s new plan to get Americans to report alleged fraud benefiting President Donald Trump backfired hilariously from the start.
The DOJ launched the fraud whistleblower incentive program on Tuesday, promising a reward of $10,000 to $30,000 for information leading to criminal charges. This is part of a broader initiative led by Vice President JD Vance to crack down on allegations of government fraud.
As the administration focused on fraud in welfare and immigration programs, critics were quick to point the finger at Trump. When announcing the new whistleblower initiative, the administration was bombarded with information on social media, with people taking the opportunity to mockingly accuse the president of fraud.
“So we’re denouncing him en masse, right? wrote a popular anti-Trump user X, who goes by the name “JoJo From Jerz.”
“I would like to deliver Donald Jezebel Trump,” commented another.
“What is the official address of Mar-a-Lago? I want to get rich,” said a third, referring to Trump’s Palm Beach estate.
“Won’t he just turn himself in to get the commission? So forgive yourself,” someone else speculated.
“Everyone is going to report this idiot to the White House. I wouldn’t be surprised if they crash the site,” said another, referring to the online portal where Americans can report suspected fraud. “It’s going to be entertaining and the jokes will write themselves.”
Trump has been accused by critics of enriching himself and his family during his presidency.
The president earned more than $2.2 billion last year, according to financial information reviewed by The New York Times. More than half of his revenue, about $1.4 billion, came from his family’s cryptocurrency business.
Its decision to accept a Boeing 747 worth about $400 million from Qatar for use as its new Air Force One has also come under scrutiny.
The Trump administration previously denied allegations that the president profited from his time in office, saying he actually lost hundreds of millions of dollars serving the American people.
Donald Trump and his family have not been criminally charged with fraud. The Independent contacted the White House for comment on the new allegations.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said a whistleblower could be awarded 1% of anything the government recovers under the DOJ’s new initiative.
But The Independent’s White House correspondent, Andrew Feinberg, resisted, mentioning that Americans can get 10 to 25 percent of the money recovered through an existing law called the False Claims Act. The 19th century law allows whistleblowers to file a lawsuit on behalf of the federal government to recover funds that were embezzled from federal programs.
When Feinberg asked Trump why someone would choose to go through the new whistleblower portal with the False Claims Act, the president responded: “Because it costs a lot of money.” »
“At one percent, people will make millions and millions of dollars reporting what is actually a somewhat common crime, you know, millions of millions,” Trump said. “But we’re talking about billions, probably billions of dollars.”
During the rest of the Oval Office event, Trump criticized Feinberg for trying to ask questions, telling her to “be careful.” At one point, the president growled “softly” at Feinberg and asked, “What’s wrong with you?” Are you a sick person?
Feinberg’s response: “Not to my knowledge, sir. »
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