Delta Air Lines will pay $8.1 million to settle claims it exceeded executive compensation limits under the federal COVID Payroll Support Program.

Delta Air Lines has paid the federal government $8.1 million to settle claims that it misused a portion of the $11.9 billion in taxpayer dollars it received as emergency aid during the pandemic, according to the Justice Department.

The USDOJ began to investigate Delta Air Lines after a whistleblower report was filed related to COVID relief and corporate payroll.