Trump’s ‘fraud enforcement’ assistant AG nom will get public hearing in Senate Judiciary

WASHINGTON (CN) — The Senate Judiciary Committee will take the lead on President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Justice Department division aimed at prosecuting fraud against the government — teeing up the first-ever confirmation process for the brand-new role.

And Colin McDonald, tapped by the president Wednesday night to become assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement, will testify publicly before the panel as part of his confirmation, as questions swirl about whether the newly created position will erode the Justice Department’s nominal independence from the executive branch.

The White House said earlier this month that it would establish a new Justice Department division to tackle what it called “the rampant and pervasive problem of fraud” targeting federal government programs and benefits, as well as businesses and private citizens. Trump and some of his top officials have for months claimed that widespread fraud is taking place in states across the country — such as in Minnesota, where the administration is probing the day care industry following accusations of fraud.

The Trump administration has also said the fraud enforcement section would investigate the financing of so-called “domestic terrorism” groups promoting political violence in the U.S., suggesting a broad scope for the new division based on the White House’s expansive definition of domestic terrorism.

And the White House initially signaled that, while the new fraud division would be under the Justice Department umbrella, it would be supervised by the administration. Vice President JD Vance told reporters in early January that the section would be “run out of the White House” and that the newly minted assistant attorney general for fraud enforcement would report to him and Trump.

But an organization chart provided to House appropriators earlier this month shows the assistant attorney general for fraud enforcement would report directly to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, undercutting Vance’s claim that the White House would exercise control over the division.

It remains unclear exactly how much influence the administration would have over the fraud enforcement section or its nominee, McDonald. But in the Senate, it appears his upcoming confirmation process will proceed in the style of other senior appointees to the Justice Department.

According to a source familiar with the process, the White House has already submitted a committee questionnaire for McDonald’s nomination, a boilerplate document which provides the panel basic information about his experience, qualifications and financial details.

And much like other assistant attorneys general who have gone under the Senate knife, McDonald will eventually sit for a public hearing before the Judiciary Committee. Senators will also have the opportunity to submit additional written questions for the nominee.

The source told Courthouse News that while the committee has received McDonald’s written questionnaire, the Trump administration has not yet formally sent the nomination to the Senate, which they suggested was unusual.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Judiciary Committee’s Republican majority had yet to schedule a hearing with McDonald.

In a post on Truth Social Wednesday night, Trump said his nominee for the new assistant attorney general position was a “very Smart, Tough and Highly Respected AMERICA FIRST Federal Prosecutor who has successfully delivered Justice in some of the most difficult and high stakes cases our Country has ever seen.”

The president said McDonald would help “catch and stop FRAUDSTERS” he said had stolen hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars in states such as Minnesota and California.

McDonald, who for weeks had been rumored as Trump’s pick to lead the fraud division, currently serves as a top official in Blanche’s office. Before joining the main Justice Department, he served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of California.

Blanche said in a statement Wednesday that McDonald was a “rockstar” and that he had been “instrumental” in the Justice Department’s mission. “He is a consummate prosecutor who loves God, family and country and will serve the President and the American people well,” said the deputy attorney general.

Though Trump’s fraud enforcement division will represent a brand-new wing of the Justice Department, the agency already conducts efforts to combat fraud. Those operations currently fall under the department’s civil and criminal divisions and are also under the purview of U.S. attorneys’ offices.

It’s unclear how those responsibilities might be affected by the establishment of a standalone fraud section.

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