Trump Fraud Pick Deflects Senator Questions on New DOJ Office

The White House pick to lead a newly established fraud division outlined his broad enforcement vision while providing senators scant details on cases he’s targeting and dodging questions on Trump-directed prosecutions.

“I do not have cases in mind, Senator,” nominee Colin McDonald said when pressed for specifics from Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.).

McDonald, a former San Diego line prosecutor who joined the Trump DOJ last year, told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that if confirmed as the inaugural head of DOJ’s national fraud enforcement division, he’d initially focus on targeting abuse of taxpayer funded programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. Vice President JD Vance announced the fraud initiative last month.

McDonald tried to address criticism that the reorganization is duplicative by promising that his team would complement and scale up investigations brought by the department’s longtime civil and criminal fraud sections.

But McDonald repeatedly dodged sharp questions from Democrats about President Donald Trump’s mandates to investigate his perceived enemies, including whether the fraud division would carry out such demands. He also deflected Democratic concerns that the fraud initiative can’t be taken seriously in light of DOJ’s recent efforts to disband cryptocurrency and tax enforcement units while Trump pardons multiple white-collar fraudsters who’ve contributed to his campaign.

“You are now placed in a highly politicized division and we already know that the president considers the Department of Justice to be his law firm,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). “You are down the chain and I don’t see how you can sit here and tell us that you are going to be independent.”

McDonald attempted to strike an apolitical tone in emphasizing his roots as a career prosecutor following facts and the law, but panel Democrats pressed him on what they cast as fraudulent behavior by the Trump DOJ and White House and on his recent role in the department’s weaponization working group.

His remarks frequently turned the focus back to his nonpartisan goals.

“I will work with everyone—Congress, the inspectors general community, federal partners and state partners, regardless of political party—to build and lead a national fraud enforcement division that restores faith in our taxpayer funded programs,” McDonald said.

When Democrats tried to pivot back to the weaponization group formerly led by Trump loyalist Ed Martin, McDonald defended the merits of the team’s review of past “misuses of government power.”

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Ca.) made multiple attempts to ask if McDonald had witnessed members of the weaponization group mishandle grand jury material or violate the Justice Manual—an apparent reference to reports of Martin’s alleged misconduct. McDonald’s replies, often interrupted by Schiff, never addressed the question.

Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sought to refute backlash the division has received over the White House’s role, pointing to an organization plan showing the fraud office will report to the deputy attorney general, not the president.

Yet Trump said in his State of the Union address Tuesday that Vance will lead the “war on fraud,” without mentioning DOJ or the new fraud office.