Trump offers $1 million per conviction for voter fraud tips
The president linked the payout to successful prosecutions in the 2026 midterms and past cycles, a move critics call a departure from standard practice.
By Arjun Tanaka ·
A $1,000,000 reward will be paid to any individual who reports voter fraud that results in the arrest and conviction of the responsible parties. President Donald Trump announced the offer on Monday via a post on Truth Social, targeting irregularities in previous elections and the upcoming 2026 midterms.
The president specified that the full sum would be released only after a legal conviction. He wrote, “Anybody reporting Voter Fraud in the past Elections, or the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election, will be paid $1,000,000 upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the Fraud!” Trump reiterated the terms to reporters just before boarding Air Force One for a campaign rally in Mississippi. He described the amount as a “$1m bonus or reward, or whatever you want to call it,” contingent on the report leading to an arrest and conviction.
The White House has not yet detailed how the rewards will be funded. Staff have reached out for comment regarding the financial mechanics of the program. The announcement comes less than two weeks before the November midterms and follows a series of claims by the administration regarding widespread irregularities in past voting processes.
State officials have moved to coordinate their responses to these federal assertions. Earlier this month, Democratic state attorneys general expanded their collaborative efforts to monitor potential federal interference in the election. They aim to address growing concerns over the administration’s emphasis on voter fraud allegations.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the federal push to restrict alleged noncitizen voting. He accused the administration of “politicizing and weaponizing the law.” The current $1 million figure represents a substantial increase over previous bounty programs. In 2020, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a Republican, offered a $25,000 reward for similar tips.
Patrick supported the offer by citing his backing of President Trump’s efforts to identify fraud and ensure every legal vote was counted. The first payout under that earlier Texas program went to Eric Frank, a Democratic poll worker in Pennsylvania. His tip led to the conviction of a 72-year-old Republican who voted twice, once under his own name and once under his son’s, according to a 2021 report by The Washington Post.
Source: The Guardian
