Washington DC - President Donald Trump has launched a whistleblower incentive program, handing out its first big check to a loyal MAGA YouTuber.
On Monday, The Department of Justice shared a press release unveiling the new Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, which will pay up to $30,000 for tips about fraudulent behavior that leads to criminal charges.
During a briefing about the program, the president revealed details not included in the press release, including that tipsters will get a 1% payout based on the amount of fraud uncovered, and that he will personally determine who deserves the awards.
Trump also handed out the program's first payment of $10,000 to YouTuber Nick Shirley.
Shirley went viral last year with a video claiming he discovered a network of "Somali-run fraudulent businesses" throughout Minnesota that were funded by the state.
The video followed Shirley visiting various businesses under false pretenses and then confronting staff with allegations of fraud.
The White House has credited Shirley's video for leading to the July 2025 arrest of Fahima Egeh Mahamud, the former CEO of a daycare featured in the video.
Despite the integrity of the "reporting" being up for debate, Shirley has become a hero with MAGA supporters, who claim he has exposed a conspiracy between immigrants who allegedly abuse the government and Democratic officials they claim allow them to do so.
Vice President JD Vance even suggested Shirley was deserving of a Pulitzer Prize for his work.
Trump – who has faced countless allegations of fraud over the years – promised the new program will help Americans "make millions of dollars by turning others in" and "keep a lot of people honest."