The Justice Department has joined a host of federal agencies that now offer the potential of a big financial payout to tipsters who take on the risk of turning over incriminating information about their employer or another company to the government.
Under a three-year pilot program launched Thursday, people who turn over original information or analysis relating to a financial crime, bribery or healthcare fraud could be eligible for an award of up to 30% of any assets forfeited by a company as a result of that information.
Financial awards for whistleblowers have become common in the U.S., with regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service paying awards in the tens of millions of dollars to tipsters whose disclosures lead to fines and penalties. The SEC’s program was launched in 2010 following a landmark financial overhaul law. The IRS has had the ability to pay whistleblowers since 1867.
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