US President Donald Trump announced his intention to pay $1 million to people who report violations during American elections, if the information they provide leads to an arrest and conviction. The offer applies to both previous elections and the upcoming vote for Congress, scheduled for November 3.
Trump announced this on October 26 on his Truth Social network, and later confirmed it while speaking to journalists before leaving for a campaign rally in Mississippi, writes USA Today.
According to the US president, the reward will be $1 million for reporting election fraud that results in the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.
Trump clarified that the new offer applies not only to possible violations during the 2026 midterm elections but also to cases related to previous election campaigns.
At the same time, merely contacting law enforcement or reporting suspicious activity will not guarantee receiving money. According to the president, proving the offense in a criminal proceeding is a mandatory condition.
Where will the money for the rewards come from
Trump did not explain whether the new initiative would be funded from the state budget or his personal funds. The procedure for submitting reports, the rules for verifying information, and the body that would make decisions on payments also remain unknown.
As reported by NBC News, a White House representative provided no additional explanation and suggested that journalists refer to the president's post on Truth Social.
Los Angeles Times also notes that the administration did not specify who would determine whether a report meets the established conditions and how applicants could qualify for the reward.
Thus, at the moment this is a public promise from the president, not a fully formed government program with published rules and confirmed funding.
The USA has already launched another whistleblower payment program
Trump's new statement came less than a week after the launch of a separate federal program for financially incentivizing citizens who help expose fraud.
On October 20, the US Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP), for which the Treasury Department is allocating $25 million.
This program provides for payments from $10,000 to $30,000 for credible information that helps bring criminal charges in defined categories of cases.
Its main areas are fraud in health insurance, government assistance, social benefits, public support programs, and the use of budget funds.
The special feature of the mechanism is that rewards can be paid once criminal charges are filed, without waiting for the completion of all court proceedings.
When presenting the program, Trump also spoke about the possibility of paying whistleblowers a percentage of recovered government funds – approximately 1%. Meanwhile, the official rules of the new DOJ program provide for a fixed range of initial rewards, and the possibility of larger payments is determined by other mechanisms.
At the moment it is unknown whether the $1 million payments for election violations are planned to be made within the existing program or a separate mechanism will be created. The current WHIP rules do not define election offenses as a separate area of its work.
The US DOJ reported new charges in election cases
On the same day, October 26, the US Department of Justice reported filing charges against 48 foreign nationals in cases related to possible election law violations.
The cases are in Pennsylvania, California, Florida, New York, and Nevada. The alleged offenses include voting by individuals who are not US citizens, false claims of citizenship, and illegal voter registration.
However, these charges do not mean the guilt of all individuals has been established. The Department of Justice separately emphasized the presumption of innocence.
The Trump administration is intensifying checks of voter rolls and seeking stricter voter registration rules. In particular, the president supports the SAVE America Act, which provides additional requirements for proof of citizenship and identification when voting.
The bill was supported by the House of Representatives, but the Senate was unable to pass it.
Context of the upcoming elections
Trump's proposal comes eight days before the midterm elections to the US Congress, which will be held on November 3. Americans will elect a new House of Representatives and part of the Senate.
The election results will determine the balance of power in Congress for the second half of Trump's presidential term.
The US president has for several years claimed massive fraud in American elections, particularly during the 2020 presidential campaign. However, his claims of systemic violations that allegedly changed the outcome of those elections have not been confirmed in courts.
According to NBC News, individual cases of election fraud in the USA do occur, but there is no evidence of its massive nature. In particular, the database of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation contains over 1,600 documented cases of election violations over roughly 40 years.
Trump has previously made other financial initiatives ahead of elections. In particular, he promised to pay Americans $5,000 each if the Republicans maintain control of Congress. This proposal also sparked debates about funding and legal grounds.
It is currently unknown whether the new promise of million-dollar rewards will turn into an official government program before election day. The White House did not specify the timeline for implementing the relevant mechanism.
Source: USA Today, NBC News, US Department of Justice
