# Colin McDonald (attorney) *American attorney and prosecutor; assistant attorney general for the National Fraud Enforcement Division* Colin Michael McDonald (born February 13, 1988) is an American attorney and federal prosecutor. Since 2026 he has headed the [[National Fraud Enforcement Division]] of the Department of Justice as an assistant attorney general. The post was newly created; President Donald Trump named him to it in January 2026, and the Senate confirmed him in March.[^1] Before that appointment McDonald was a prosecutor in the Southern District of California from 2014. From January 2025 he was an associate deputy attorney general under Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. In that role he was co-director of the department's Weaponization Working Group. During the dispute over [[Operation Metro Surge]] in [[Minnesota]], he also worked with federal law-enforcement agencies to pursue prosecutions of protesters who opposed the operation.[^1] In the Minnesota record, McDonald is the addressee of a June 2026 referral by Vice President [[JD Vance]]. The referral followed the [[House Oversight]] Committee staff report *[[The Cost of Doing Nothing]]*. The project's master dates the referral between Chairman [[James Comer]]'s June 7, 2026 transmittal letter and a June 8, 2026 press report. It states that the referral letter's face date has not yet been confirmed against a primary copy.[^2] ## Early life and education McDonald was born in San Diego County, California, on February 13, 1988. He is married and has five children.[^3] ## Career ### Assistant U.S. attorney (2014–2024) In 2014 McDonald joined the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California as an assistant U.S. attorney. His cases there included prosecutions of four people. They were Louis Kealoha, the former chief of the Honolulu Police Department; Kealoha's wife, Katherine; and two police officers.[^4] ### Associate deputy attorney general (2025–present) McDonald became an associate deputy attorney general in January 2025, reporting to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.[^4] In January 2026, Minnesota officials and protesters were in conflict with the Trump administration over Operation Metro Surge. That month McDonald coordinated with the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] and Homeland Security Investigations to bring rapid prosecutions of protesters.[^4] He also worked with Aakash Singh to gather evidence toward indicting three officials: - Minnesota [[governor]] [[Tim Walz]]; - [[Minneapolis mayor]] Jacob Frey; - [[Minnesota Attorney General]] [[Keith Ellison]].[^4] The record does not show any indictment of the three officials, and it contains no charging documents from these efforts.[^4] By February 2026 McDonald was working with deputy homeland security advisor Anthony Salisbury on a working group to prosecute election fraud. By the same month he was serving as co-director of the Weaponization Working Group.[^4] ## U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Fraud Enforcement **Creation of the division.** In January 2026 Vice President Vance announced that the Department of Justice would set up a fraud-enforcement division. He said the division would be run by the White House Office.[^5] The same month, CBS News reported that Trump was weighing McDonald for the post and described him as an ally of Blanche.[^5] **Nomination.** Trump announced the nomination on January 28, 2026.[^5] The administration later changed the reporting line from the one Vance had announced. It said McDonald would report to Blanche and to Attorney General Pam Bondi. He would coordinate with Vance and with Federal Trade Commission chair Andrew N. Ferguson. This arrangement came after Trump had sought a fraud task force with Vance as its chair.[^5] **Hearing.** McDonald testified before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on February 25, 2026. Senators asked whether the administration was directly influencing prosecutions, especially in fraud investigations. McDonald described himself as non-partisan. Democratic members of the committee rejected that description, and some cited his role in the Weaponization Working Group. He gave no answer when asked whether he would prosecute a person on Trump's order. He also declined to give precise answers to any of the questions from California senator Adam Schiff.[^5] **Confirmation.** On March 19 the committee voted along party lines to advance the nomination. The full Senate confirmed McDonald on March 24.[^5] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Two of the project's validated masters, *How Minnesota Got Here* and *The Instrument No One Will Name*, carry the same addressee block. Each is directed to "Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald (National Fraud Enforcement Division)", to Vice President Vance, and to Chairman Comer.[^6][^2] - *How Minnesota Got Here* is framed as a submission from Minneapolis Television Network to McDonald, Vance and Comer. Its section 7 responds to the Committee's specific review request on social-services reimbursements and enrollment verification from 2019 to the present.[^6] ### When - January 2026: McDonald coordinates with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations on prosecutions of protesters during Operation Metro Surge.[^4] - March 4, 2026: the House Oversight Committee releases the original 54-page staff report.[^2] - June 7, 2026: Chairman Comer dates his transmittal letter to Vice President Vance accompanying the report.[^2] - June 8, 2026: press reporting dates Vance's referral to McDonald. Wider coverage follows on June 8–9.[^2] - June 2026: the staff report is released in an expanded 205-page version.[^2] ### What - The referral concerns the staff report *The Cost of Doing Nothing: How Tim Walz and Keith Ellison Fueled Minnesota's Fraud Explosion*.[^2] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Colin McDonald (attorney)*, lead section (revision 1372393340, retrieved October 26, 2026) — birth date, office held since 2026, prior posts, Operation Metro Surge coordination, nomination and confirmation. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McDonald_(attorney)> [^2]: Minnesota wiki project, *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified master, June 18, 2026), addressee block and note [1] — staff report releases (March 4, 2026; expanded June 2026), June 7, 2026 Comer transmittal, Vance referral reported June 8, 2026; referral face date to be confirmed against the primary. [^3]: Wikipedia, *Colin McDonald (attorney)*, "Early life and education" (revision 1372393340, retrieved October 26, 2026) — birth date and place; family. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McDonald_(attorney)> [^4]: Wikipedia, *Colin McDonald (attorney)*, "Career" (revision 1372393340, retrieved October 26, 2026) — assistant U.S. attorney service from 2014; associate deputy attorney general from January 2025; January–February 2026 activities. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McDonald_(attorney)> [^5]: Wikipedia, *Colin McDonald (attorney)*, "U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Fraud Enforcement" (revision 1372393340, retrieved October 26, 2026) — division announcement, January 28, 2026 nomination, reporting line, February 25 hearing, March 19 committee vote, March 24 confirmation. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McDonald_(attorney)> [^6]: Minnesota wiki project, *How Minnesota Got Here* (merged master, footnoted) — addressee block naming McDonald with Vance and Comer; submission framing and section 7 scope.