Trump Taps Federal Prosecutor Colin McDonald To Lead New DOJ Fraud Division
Trump nominated Colin McDonald to be the first assistant attorney general for a new DOJ National Fraud Enforcement Division focused on pandemic-era and program fraud.
Overview
President Donald Trump nominated Colin McDonald on Jan. 28 to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the newly created National Fraud Enforcement Division, according to a Truth Social post by the president.
The division was announced earlier this month by Vice President J.D. Vance to centralize enforcement against fraud in federally funded programs amid probes into a Minnesota scheme prosecutors estimate could top $9 billion.
Colin McDonald currently serves as associate deputy attorney general in Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's office and has overseen liaison work with the FBI, DEA and ATF, officials confirmed.
Legal experts and some lawmakers questioned whether the new division duplicates existing DOJ components that handle criminal and civil fraud, a concern raised in hearings and media reports.
McDonald’s nomination requires Senate confirmation and the administration has not provided a timeline for when his nomination will be formally submitted or when a confirmation hearing will be scheduled.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story cautiously, juxtaposing administration praise with immediate skepticism. Editorial choices—placing Trump and Blanche's laudatory statements alongside sourced questions about duplication, the Minnesota fraud scandal, and prosecutor resignations—create a narrative that the new division may be politically motivated or redundant, while preserving quoted source content as evidence.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The division centralizes enforcement against fraud in federally funded programs, including pandemic-era and program fraud, targeting schemes like those in Minnesota estimated at up to $9 billion.
Colin McDonald is a federal prosecutor currently serving as associate deputy attorney general under Deputy AG Todd Blanche, with prior roles as a prosecutor in California's Southern District and Hawaii, and liaison to FBI, DEA, and ATF.
President Trump announced the nomination on January 28 via Truth Social, but it requires Senate confirmation, with no timeline provided for formal submission or hearing.
It addresses massive fraud schemes in states like Minnesota and California involving billions in taxpayer dollars; critics argue it duplicates existing DOJ fraud-handling components like criminal and civil divisions.
Probes into a Minnesota scheme estimated at over $9 billion and similar frauds in California, involving theft from federal programs.
History
This story does not have any previous versions.