Current and former RNLA leaders are pleased to support the nomination of Colin McDonald to be the first-ever Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’sNational Fraud Enforcement Division. The letter below was submitted in anticipation of McDonald's confirmation hearing. View the letter in PDF form here.
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Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Durbin:
On January 8, 2026, the White House announced the creation of a new division at the Department of Justice for national fraud enforcement. The goal of this new division is to “enforce the Federal criminal and civil laws against fraud targeting Federal government programs, Federally funded benefits, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens nationwide.” Further, the division will be headed by an assistant attorney general who will “develop and set national enforcement priorities, and propose legislative and regulatory reforms as necessary to close systematic vulnerabilities and prevent future abuses.” [1]
These aims are not only paramount to protecting American taxpayers, but are also incredibly timely, as an abundance of fraud schemes across the country have recently come to light. From Minnesota to California, estimates indicate billions of taxpayer dollars have been stolen for nefarious purposes by exploiting federal benefits or government programs. The new assistant attorney general will be given the authority to investigate fraud claims and seek accountability from those who have abused resources contributed by the American public.
On January 28, 2026, President Trump announced his nomination of Colin McDonald to be the first Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement. Current and former leaders of the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) urge the Senate to swiftly approve President Trump’s nominee, so the important work of this new division can get underway.
Mr. McDonald is currently an associate deputy attorney general working under Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. In this role, he oversees the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the U.S. Marshals Service. Accordingly, he is uniquely situated to lead the division for national fraud enforcement. His existing strong relationships across key investigatory agencies will enhance his effectiveness in the position he is nominated to fill.
Before his current role at the Department of Justice, Mr. McDonald served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of California and the District of Hawaii from 2014 to 2025. The experience he gained as a prosecutor, including over high-profile public corruption matters, further contributes to his exceptional qualifications to lead the national division for fraud.
Mr. McDonald’s efforts to expose a high-profile Hawaii public corruption scandal involving the former Honolulu police chief and the former Honolulu city prosecutor is illustrative of the excellent credentials he possesses. He successfully secured convictions of the married pair for conspiracy and obstruction of justice after they used their positions to frame and falsely arrest a family member to hide their own theft of funds from another elderly family member. This case is just one of many that highlight Mr. McDonald’s exceptional leadership, investigatory talent to root out fraud and abuse, and prosecutorial skills. He is well-equipped to handle the important responsibilities that the new assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement will undertake.
Accordingly, we encourage the Senate Judiciary Committee to favorably advance Colin McDonald’s nomination as Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement to the full Senate. The Senate should easily vote to confirm this excellent nominee.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned Current and Former RNLA Leaders*
Read the full list of signatories here.
*All persons have signed in their personal, and not their official or professional, capacities.
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[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-new-department-of-justice-division-for-national-fraud-enforcement/