The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Colin McDonald to serve as an assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice, placing him in charge of leading federal efforts to combat fraud nationwide, as reported by The New York Post.

The vote saw support from both parties, with 52 Republicans and 47 Democrats backing the nomination.

McDonald had most recently served as an associate deputy attorney general at the DOJ and brings more than a decade of experience as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California.

In his new role, McDonald will work alongside Justice Department officials and Vice President JD Vance, who chairs President Donald Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

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The initiative is part of a broader administration effort to address large-scale fraud cases affecting federal programs.

β€œColin McDonald is a great choice and will be a key asset in the War on Fraud,” Vance told The Post.

β€œThe Task Force to Eliminate Fraud will help coordinate the interagency effort to root out and identify fraudsters, and separately, Colin will have nationwide jurisdiction at the Justice Department to prosecute the bad guys,” the vice president noted.

β€œThis is an important step by Congress to help the Administration protect taxpayers and vulnerable Americans from criminal fraudsters.”

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Vance announced his leadership of the task force earlier this month during a White House press briefing, following multiple federal investigations into alleged fraud schemes in Minnesota and California.

The cases involve claims that taxpayer funds were improperly directed toward social service programs, including child care centers.

A former federal prosecutor in Minnesota has estimated that fraud in that state alone could exceed $9 billion.

Federal officials have taken action in response, including a decision by Vance and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to withdraw $259.5 million in Medicaid funding from Minnesota over fraud concerns this year.

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β€œIn states across the country, fraudsters are depriving vulnerable citizens of basic social services, stealing billions of your tax dollars, and eroding America’s social fabric,” a Vance spokesperson said in a statement.

β€œThis fraud has happened on such a massive scale that it’s endangering the future viability of America’s entire social safety net,” the spokesperson added.

β€œThe Trump Administration is responding with a whole-of-government War on Fraud that includes multiple stakeholders who will follow the fraud wherever it leads.”

Vance has previously indicated that fraudulent spending tied to taxpayer funds in Minnesota could reach as high as $19 billion.

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Atlanta, Georgia, USA - 4th Nov, 2024. Ohio Senator JD Vance arrives with his wife Usha Vance at the Vice Presidential Nominee’s election rally at the Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The task force will be co-chaired by Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller serving as a senior adviser.

McDonald’s legal background includes involvement in high-profile federal prosecutions.

He played a role in the case against former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who was convicted in 2020 alongside his wife, Katherine Kealoha, for false arrest and obstruction of justice.

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The case centered on allegations that the couple used their positions to falsely arrest a family member as part of an effort to conceal the theft of $148,000 from a relative.

At the time, U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer described the case as a significant breach of public trust.

β€œThis was a flagrant and stunning abuse of power that victimized an entire community by undermining public confidence in its leaders and the rule of law,” Brewer said while commending McDonald’s work on the investigation.

White House officials have also cited McDonald’s courtroom reputation, noting that a judge on the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals praised his β€œimpressive” degree of candor and β€œhonesty with the court.”

Before joining the Department of Justice, McDonald clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Anello from 2012 to 2014. A California native, he is a married father of five.

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