The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will launch a pilot program later this year that will award monetary bounties to corporate whistleblowers who are not otherwise eligible for cash rewards under federal law. The focus will be on encouraging whistleblowing related to allegations of foreign corruption. DOJ’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) will spearhead the pilot program.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri announced the program March 8, 2024, in a presentation to the American Bar Association’s National Institute on White Collar Crime. The authority for the program derives from Title 28 of the U.S. Code, which authorizes the Attorney General to reward whistleblowers for “information or assistance leading to civil or criminal forfeiture,” DOJ said. This pilot program will be the first of its kind to use this authority as part of a targeted initiative, according to DOJ.