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

By Fox News · Fox News

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." EXCLUSIVE: SENATE BILL TARGETS MINNESOTA-STYLE ‘RUNAWAY FRAUD’ TO FORCE SCAMMERS REPAY TAXPAYERS 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." FEDERAL FRAUD FACES SENATE SHOWDOWN AS THUNE TAPS ERNST TO LEAD REFORMS AFTER MINNESOTA SCANDAL Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described McDonald as "one of the most effective attorneys" he has worked with and said the Am…