White House Eyes Deputy AG Aide Colin McDonald to Lead New DOJ Fraud Division
The White House is reportedly considering Colin McDonald, an aide in the deputy attorney general’s office, to lead a new Justice Department fraud division. Separately, DOJ has asked the Pentagon to provide military judge advocates as short‑term special assistant U.S. attorneys and forensic auditors to help handle COVID‑era welfare fraud probes in Minnesota after a wave of AUSA departures, a request backed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
📌 Key Facts
- The DOJ has formally asked the Pentagon to supply military judge advocates to Minnesota as short‑term Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys starting in March to help handle cases tied to COVID‑era welfare fraud and related probes.
- The Pentagon and DOJ are in talks to send Pentagon forensic auditors to Minnesota to assist with fraud investigations and potentially testify in court.
- Roughly 10 Minnesota Assistant U.S. Attorneys — including some who handled the Feeding Our Future case — have left; remaining career prosecutors have been largely sidelined, and DOJ is trying to backfill by detailing civilian prosecutors from multiple neighboring districts.
- The request to use military lawyers has the backing of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- The move echoes earlier Trump‑era uses of Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers, when they were detailed as immigration judges and misdemeanor prosecutors in Washington, D.C.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 21, 2026
8:37 PM
DOJ's call for resources in Minnesota includes military attorneys, auditors
New information:
- DOJ has formally asked the Pentagon to supply military judge advocates to Minnesota as short‑term Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, starting in March, to help handle cases tied to COVID‑era welfare fraud and related probes.
- The Pentagon and DOJ are in talks to send Pentagon forensic auditors to Minnesota to assist with fraud investigations and potentially testify in court.
- Roughly 10 Minnesota AUSAs — including some who handled the Feeding Our Future case — have left, remaining career prosecutors have been largely sidelined, and DOJ is trying to backfill by detailing civilian prosecutors from multiple neighboring districts.
- The military‑lawyer request has the backing of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and echoes earlier Trump‑era uses of JAGs as immigration judges and misdemeanor prosecutors in Washington, D.C.
January 15, 2026