The Department of Justice is sending a clear message to the market: if you have knowledge of anticompetitive conduct affecting federal procurement, the government wants to hear from you. A recent keynote address by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel Glad made plain that criminal antitrust enforcement is accelerating, and that whistleblowers are now central to that effort. For individuals with knowledge of bid rigging, price fixing, or other procurement fraud, two separate but complementary legal options may now be available to them.
The DOJ Antitrust Division Has Launched a New Whistleblower Rewards Program
In July 2025, the Antitrust Division announced a first-of-its-kind Whistleblower Rewards Program in partnership with the United States Postal Service. The program provides monetary rewards to individuals who voluntarily report original information about criminal antitrust violations. To be eligible, the reported conduct must result in a criminal fine or recovery of more than $1 million, and it must have a nexus to the Postal Service. That threshold is broader than it may initially appear. Because the USPS touches nearly every home and business in the country, the nexus requirement can be satisfied any time a company uses the mail to send invoices, pricing data, or other communications in furtherance of a scheme.
Eligible whistleblowers can receive between 15 and 30 percent of the resulting criminal recovery. In January 2026, the DOJ announced its first-ever payment under the program: a $1 million reward to an individual whose tip exposed a bid-rigging scheme in online auctions for used vehicles. The payout represented just over 30 percent of the assessed fine.
Procurement Fraud Is Fraud on the Public
In his March 2026 keynote at the Global Competition Review Cartels conference, Glad described procurement fraud in terms that connect directly to the False Claims Act. When competitors secretly agree to rig bids on government contracts, he explained, they are not engaging in sharp business practice. They are committing fraud on the public. That framing is significant, because it reflects how the government views the overlap between criminal antitrust enforcement and civil fraud recovery.
Glad also highlighted the work of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a multi-agency initiative focused specifically on protecting public funds from bid rigging and related schemes. According to his remarks, the PCSF has launched nearly 200 investigations, secured more than 75 convictions, and now accounts for nearly half of all open investigations in the Antitrust Division. The message is consistent: procurement fraud is a top enforcement priority, and the government is using every tool available to pursue it.
The False Claims Act Provides a Separate Path to Recovery
The Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program focuses on criminal conduct. The False Claims Act, by contrast, is a civil statute that allows the government to recover money it paid as a result of fraudulent conduct, including payments made under contracts that were procured through bid rigging or other anticompetitive schemes. These two frameworks can apply to the same underlying conduct.
When a contractor submits a bid that was rigged in coordination with competitors, and the government awards a contract and makes payments based on that bid, those payments may constitute false claims under the FCA. The government can recover up to three times what it wrongfully paid, plus civil penalties. A whistleblower who files a qui tam complaint on behalf of the government can receive up to 15 to 30 percent of the government’s recovery in a successful case.
The FCA does not require a Postal Service nexus. Any contractor who submits a fraudulent invoice to the federal government can be subject to FCA liability, regardless of the market or industry involved.
Two Programs, One Opportunity
For individuals with knowledge of procurement fraud on government contracts, the landscape has changed substantially. The Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program now provides a mechanism to report criminal anticompetitive conduct and receive a financial reward tied to the resulting criminal fine. The False Claims Act provides a separate mechanism to pursue civil recovery for the government’s financial losses, with its own whistleblower award separate from any criminal proceeding.
In some cases, both paths may be available. In others, the facts may align better with one program than the other. An experienced whistleblower attorney can evaluate which avenue, or combination of avenues, is most appropriate given the specific conduct at issue.
Speak to a Whistleblower Attorney at Keller Grover
If you have knowledge of bid rigging, price fixing, or other fraudulent conduct on government contracts, you may have options under federal law to report that conduct and receive compensation for doing so. The attorneys at Keller Grover can help you evaluate your rights under both the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program and the False Claims Act. Contact our legal team today for a confidential consultation.