Senate Confirms Colin McDonald to Lead DOJ’s New Fraud Division

McDonald’s appointment comes as the Trump administration has intensified scrutiny of alleged large-scale fraud, particularly in Minnesota.

Colin McDonald, the nominee for assistant Attorney General for fraud enforcement at the Department of Justice, listens at his Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 25, 2026. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Senate voted 52–47 on March 24 to confirm Colin McDonald as the first leader of the Department of Justice’s newly created fraud division, marking a significant step in the federal government’s expanded focus on combating financial crimes.

McDonald’s appointment came as the Trump administration intensified scrutiny of alleged large-scale fraud, particularly in Minnesota. The new role—assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement—placed McDonald at the center of those efforts.