Senate confirms DOJ fraud chief as Minnesota daycare scandal draws national scrutiny

The Senate confirmed Colin McDonald on a 52–47 vote to serve as the Justice Department’s first assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement on Tuesday, as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to crack down on abuse of taxpayer-funded programs.

The confirmation comes as federal officials continue investigating large-scale fraud schemes, including a Minnesota daycare fraud probe involving millions in taxpayer-funded federal dollars, while House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has alleged whistleblowers warned state leaders about the issue for years.

President Donald Trump created the new National Fraud Enforcement Division to target systemic fraud across federal programs, pointing to cases such as Minnesota, which officials say have both exposed widespread abuse and helped shape the federal government’s response.

"My Administration has uncovered fraud schemes in states like Minnesota and California, where these thieves have stolen hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars," Trump said. "Together, we will end the fraud and restore integrity to our federal programs."

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The new role is intended to centralize enforcement efforts and expand the Justice Department’s ability to investigate and prosecute complex fraud schemes tied to public assistance programs.

During his confirmation hearing, McDonald said the work in Minnesota had been "pivotal" spotlighting fraud in taxpayer-funded programs and that the new division would seek to "scale" similar efforts nationwide.

Attorney General Pam Bondi called McDonald an "experienced, skilled, and tough prosecutor" who will "continue doing incredible work to root out fraud across America."

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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described McDonald as "one of the most effective attorneys" he has worked with and said the American people should have confidence in his leadership of the new division.

Vice President JD Vance said McDonald has an "exceptional prosecutorial track record" and is well positioned to take on the role.

McDonald currently serves as an associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department, where he has worked on major enforcement initiatives under Blanche.

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During his testimony, McDonald emphasized the scale of the problem, citing estimates that hundreds of billions of dollars are lost to fraud annually, and said the Justice Department would work with federal, state and local partners to investigate and prosecute cases, adding that "no fraud is too big" and "no fraud is too small" for enforcement.

The Minnesota daycare fraud investigation has drawn particular scrutiny as part of the broader crackdown, with federal investigators and lawmakers examining allegations that funds intended for childcare and meals for children were diverted or misused.

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A recent state audit found Minnesota officials failed for years to properly investigate fraud-related allegations, concluding the Department of Human Services had the authority to pursue cases but did not act, according to the report.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion, Andrew Mark Miller, Emma Colton and Max Bacall contributed to this reporting.