On November 19, 2025, the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (Senate AG) held a hearing to consider President Trump’s nominee for Chairman and Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Michael Selig.
The current head of the Senate AG committee, Senator John Boozman, began the hearing by explaining the importance of the CFTC: “It is the only federal financial regulator that oversees the agriculture and energy risk management markets, the resiliency of which is crucial to our commodity supply chains.”
The CFTC is also responsible for investigating and prosecuting, utilizing a robust whistleblower program supported by Senator Grassley (R-Iowa), a long-time advocate for whistleblowers.
Grassley submitted two Questions for the Record (QFRs) to nominee Selig, requesting a commitment to supplying the necessary resources to the CFTC’s Whistleblower Program, as well as questioning whether Selig would be in favor of long-term improvements, like increasing the cap of the whistleblower fund:
- The CFTC relies on whistleblowers to disclose cases of fraud and other illegal activities. Since its creation in 2014, the CFTC has made over $390 million in whistleblower awards paid for by the fines the CFTC collects, not taxpayer dollars. Cryptocurrency schemes were among the most common types to require CFTC enforcement actions. If confirmed, will you commit to providing the necessary resources to the CFTC whistleblower program?
- Will you support a long-term solution to supporting the whistleblower program such as increasing the cap of the whistleblower fund?
“Grassley has been the most impactful Senator in modern history for accountability, oversight, and justice for whistleblowers,” states prominent whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn.
Grassley’s questions are especially pertinent as the CFTC tackles cryptocurrency, a commodity highly susceptible to corruption. Ranking Member Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) echoed her support, demonstrating the bipartisan endorsement of prosecuting corruption and mobilizing whistleblower protections. She questioned Selig on what he would do to ensure crypto markets “do not come at the expense of basic safeguards to protect the public.”
Whistleblower advocates say that Grassley’s inquiry underscores the crucial role whistleblowers play in advancing a healthy trade environment. Should the Senate confirm Selig, the burden of shielding the American economy from corruption will fall upon his shoulders, and it’s imperative that he has whistleblowers in mind.
