The Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund (AFF) manages assets seized by law enforcement during investigations. These assets, ranging from cash and vehicles to property, are suspected to be involved in criminal activity. While the AFF serves a purpose, there’s a potential for abuse. Civil asset forfeiture allows seizure of assets even without criminal charges, raising concerns about innocent people losing their property. This is where whistleblowing comes in.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) offers a financial incentive program for whistleblowers who provide information leading to successful asset forfeiture cases. This applies to both criminal and civil forfeitures involving various federal agencies. The DOJ manages the collected assets through a designated Asset Forfeiture Fund and is required to report on how these funds are used.

There are two main ways whistleblowers can qualify for rewards. Conviction-based awards come from information that directly leads to a conviction for specific federal crimes like drug trafficking, money laundering, or human trafficking can qualify for rewards of up to $250,000.

Asset forfeiture awards occur when whistleblowers are rewarded for providing information that leads to an asset forfeiture, even if there’s no criminal conviction associated with the case. Unlike conviction-based awards, there’s no statutory limit on the amount a whistleblower can receive for an asset forfeiture tip. However, if the reward exceeds $500,000, the Attorney General is required to notify specific Congressional committees.

The Attorney General has the final say on awarding these funds, and there’s no opportunity for whistleblowers to challenge this decision through judicial review. This program highlights the DOJ’s commitment to incentivizing whistleblowing in asset forfeiture cases, offering financial rewards for information that helps recover assets tied to criminal activity.