DOJ Creates New Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program in Partnership with the U.S. Postal Service
On July 8, 2025, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), in partnership with the United States Postal Service (“USPS”), announced an exciting new Whistleblower Rewards Program aimed at exposing antitrust crimes that not only harm fair and free market competition in a wide array of industries, such as healthcare, agriculture, and tech, but also negatively impact consumers and taxpayers by artificially inflating costs and putting inferior products and services in the marketplace. This new program recognizes the benefit to the government in partnering with whistleblowers who have information of wrongdoing to fight crime, fraud, and abuse, as demonstrated by the huge success of existing whistleblower laws and programs.
As set forth in a Memorandum of Understanding between the Antitrust Division, the USPS and the Office of the Inspector General of the USPS, the Whistleblower Rewards Program provides monetary awards for eligible whistleblowers who voluntarily provide the Antitrust Division with original information about “Eligible Criminal Violations,” which the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) – the security arm of the USPS – determines reasonably articulates violations of law affecting the Postal Service, its revenues, or property, and which result in a criminal fine of at least $1 million (or an equivalent recovery from a deferred prosecution or non-prosecution agreement entered into with the defendant).
The procedures the Antitrust Division follows for processing whistleblower reports and issuing awards are also detailed in the Memorandum of Understanding. The Antitrust Division first receives and evaluates the initial whistleblower report and determines if it reflects an “Eligible Criminal Violation” that may qualify for an award. If the report qualifies, the Antitrust Division contacts USPIS, which then assesses whether the allegations potentially qualify for a whistleblower reward under the program. If the allegations qualify, and a criminal conviction or resolution results in a fine of at least $1million, the whistleblower may receive an award of 15% to 30% of that criminal fine (or equivalent recovery from a deferred prosecution or non-prosecution agreement).
Certain crimes are presumed to be “Eligible Criminal Violations” under the program. These crimes include Sherman Antitrust Act violations, such as unlawful restraints of interstate commerce, foreign trade, and competition in the marketplace (e.g., agreements to rig bids, or other types of collusion to improperly restrain trade, create monopolies, or affect market allocation); as well as crimes that affect federal, state, or local public procurement.
Like other whistleblower award programs, certain individuals are not eligible to receive an award. Such individuals include those who: originated or led the illegal activity; coerced others to participate in the illegal activity; are employed by, or a contractor of, the DOJ, the USPS, or a law enforcement organization; and certain close relatives of disqualified employees or contractors.
This new program has tremendous potential to return funds illegally obtained in violation of the antitrust laws to the public fisc. If you are interested in submitting a whistleblower report under this program, or any of the other whistleblower laws and programs that exist, Getnick Law can help.
Contact us for more information or to discuss a potential case.