They just have no legal recourse if the reward is not paid.
To be clear, it’s because while promissory estoppel and unilateral contracts are a very real thing you can sue over, sovereign immunity keeps that from being an option, particularly federally. If some private organization offered the reward you’d be fine, but when it is a sovereign immune government that hasn’t waved it’s immunity you’re fucked.
They used to say the rewards was for information leading to the conviction. If they don’t get a conviction, the reward is forfeit by default.
People are still gonna try though. They just have no legal recourse if the reward is not paid.
Not only that, but one has to go through the FBI’s tip line directly to be eligible. The McDonald’s snitch called the police instead.
To be clear, it’s because while promissory estoppel and unilateral contracts are a very real thing you can sue over, sovereign immunity keeps that from being an option, particularly federally. If some private organization offered the reward you’d be fine, but when it is a sovereign immune government that hasn’t waved it’s immunity you’re fucked.
Even if they did, anyone desperate enough for the vague promise of money isn’t going to have enough of it to hire a lawyer.