Trump suggests he could be ‘referee’ under Justice Department’s anti-fraud whistleblower system | Donald Trump

Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that he would serve as an “arbiter” of decisions in the Justice Department’s new anti-fraud program, which provides compensation to those who submit information leading to a conviction or significant federal enforcement.

Announcing the new program alongside JD Vance, the vice president who heads the White House task force to eliminate fraud, the president told reporters he had a solution for situations where multiple people submit a tip for the same suspected fraud.

“I just thought when you do these things, sometimes there’s a dispute about who gave them back and who didn’t give them back, who’s supposed to get what and when, you know,” Trump told reporters.

“So I’m going to do something that I think people will like, I’ll be the arbiter of all these decisions. In other words, I’ll determine whether the person is deserving or not, and I’ll be very generous, believe me,” the US president said, provoking laughter from the group.

It’s unclear whether Trump was sincere about his new role. The Justice Department’s website says the department has “sole discretion” to grant awards and exercise authority in the program.

The Guardian has requested comment from the Justice Department and the White House.

The new Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program gives anyone submitting information the opportunity to receive a financial reward of up to $30,000 for information provided during the “charge phase of a criminal case.”

The government already provides financial rewards to whistleblowers who pursue cases against individuals and companies that have committed financial fraud through the False Claims Act. If the government intervenes in a lawsuit and prosecutes, whistleblowers can get 15 to 25 percent of the financial penalties.

Vance said the new program differs from the False Claims Act because it expands opportunities for financial reward in cases of government-related fraud.

“More than 99 percent of the fraud we see in the federal government is not covered by the False Claims Act,” Vance said.

The new program also offers rewards to whistleblowers at an earlier stage of the investigation, rather than requiring it to result in hefty fines or forfeiture.

Vance said he and Trump decided to create the program to get more people to report fraud, like Nick Shirley, a conservative influencer who went viral earlier this year for accusing Somali child care centers in Minnesota of widespread fraud.

During his announcement in the Oval Office, Trump said the program would allow whistleblowers to get 1% of the scale of fraud discovered, insisting that people could earn “millions and millions” of dollars by submitting information.

However, the Department of Justice website states that the program is limited to a $30,000 reward.

“You will get your money immediately, but I will make the decision,” Trump added. “So if two people are fighting over this, maybe they’ll split it or maybe something else, but I will make that decision. It will be done quickly and fairly.”

Trump encouraged members of the media to participate in the program by investigating and reporting fraud. He said the government would be willing to provide financial reward to journalists, provided their respective media outlets allowed it.

“We’re going to let journalists participate because you know a lot of things that are going on,” Trump said.