DOJ Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program

Whistleblowers can receive rewards for reporting on antitrust law violations.
 
The U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program was created in 2025 by the Trump Administration.  The program is administered by the DOJ Antitrust division in partnership with the United States Postal Service.
 
The program pays incentive awards to persons who report violations of the federal antitrust laws and regulations where the reported information leads to a successful DOJ enforcement action. The program also provides for a whistleblower's anonymity and protection from professional retaliation.

Kirby McInerney’s DOJ Whistleblower Practice

Kirby McInerney advocacy for DOJ whistleblowers is rooted in the firm’s long-standing track record of successfully representing plaintiffs in antitrust cases. Kirby McInerney’s extensive antitrust experience prosecuting cases against corporations in these industries for violations of the full breadth of antitrust laws: illegal price fixing, unlawful monopolization, monopoly leveraging, illegal tying arrangements, illegal mergers or acquisitions, unfair competition, exclusive dealing, and refusals to deal.
 
In addition to the firm’s antitrust experience, Kirby McInerney has a track record of successfully representing whistleblowers in cases relating to the manipulation of financial markets. This work includes representing whistleblowers under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) whistleblower program, created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
 
For example, KM represented the whistleblower who received the largest CFTC whistleblower award ever and the second largest whistleblower award arising under the Dodd-Frank and IRS whistleblower programs. In 2021, the CFTC program awarded the client nearly $200 million in connection with recoveries by the CFTC and other government regulators of billions of dollars from global banks that were alleged to have manipulated benchmark interest rates to illegally enrich itself to the detriment of other market participants.
 

About the DOJ Whistleblower Program

 

WHO CAN BE A DOJ WHISTLEBLOWER?

Anyone who voluntarily submits original information to the DOJ about possible federal antitrust laws violations can be a DOJ whistleblower. “Original information” is information derived from your independent knowledge (facts known to you that are not derived from publicly available sources) or independent analysis (evaluation of information that may be publicly available, but which reveals information that is not generally known) that is not already known by the DOJ.
 

HOW TO BECOME A DOJ WHISTLEBLOWER

DOJ whistleblowers must submit their information directly to the DOJ using the DOJ’s online portal.
 
Whistleblowers need not to be employee “insiders,” but can be nearly anyone with original information. For example, any market participants, including clients, competitors, and industry insiders, with information about potential antitrust violations can typically serve as a DOJ whistleblower.  Individuals who have information about price fixing, bid rigging, or market division or allocation schemes should consider speaking with an attorney about whether they should make DOJ whistleblower submission.
 

DOJ WHISTLEBLOWER AWARDS

The DOJ  works with its law enforcement partners the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General to pay rewards to whistleblowers. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Payment of whistleblower rewards is in the discretion of the Antitrust Division, but if a whistleblower is eligible for an award the presumptive award amount will be between 15 and 30% of the amount of the criminal fine or recovery.

DOJ WHISTLEBLOWER CONFIDENTIALITY

The DOJ Whistleblower Program promises whistleblowers a high level of protection against disclosure of their identity. Whistleblowers can choose to submit information to the DOJ anonymously – i.e., without providing their identity or contact information – but to do so, they must be represented by, and provide contact information for, an attorney in order to be eligible for an award. In addition, the DOJ generally treats information obtained in connection with an investigation as non-public and confidential, except for  where disclosure is required in connection with criminal or regulatory proceedings.

DOJ WHISTLEBLOWERS' PROTECTION AGAINST EMPLOYMENT RETALIATION 

The DOJ Whistleblower Program also protects against employment retaliations. The Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act of 2019 (“CAARA”) was enacted, establishing protections for reporting criminal antitrust violations or engaging in related protected activities. Workers are protected from retaliation for reporting criminal antitrust violations to their employers or the federal government, or engaging in related protected activities.
 
Employers may not retaliate against whistleblowers for providing information to the DOJ -- as through discharge, demotion, suspension, threats, harassment, direct or indirect, or any other discrimination against a whistleblower in the terms and conditions of employment because of any lawful act done by the whistleblower.
 

Contact Kirby McInerney

If you are aware of antitrust fraud or violations of antitrust laws and would like to discuss them with a member of Kirby McInerney’s DOJ Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program team, please contact us at our dedicated whistleblower line, 212-699-1160, or by filling out this form.