BY MIRABEL ODETA

President Donald Trump on Wednesday appointed Colin McDonald to a newly created position as assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement, expanding the Justice Department’s leadership as the administration steps up its focus on combating financial and corporate crime.

McDonald currently serves as an associate deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice, a role in which he has been involved in overseeing major criminal and civil enforcement initiatives. His appointment places him at the center of a new effort to coordinate and strengthen federal actions against fraud across multiple sectors, including financial markets, government programs, and corporate misconduct.

Before taking on his current post, McDonald built a career as a federal prosecutor, handling complex cases that required coordination among law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies. His background in prosecution and departmental leadership is expected to shape the direction of the new office, which was created to centralize fraud enforcement strategies and improve the government’s ability to pursue large-scale and cross-border cases.

The White House said the new role reflects the administration’s intent to give greater priority to fraud prevention and enforcement, particularly as financial crimes grow more sophisticated. McDonald’s appointment is expected to bring continuity within the Justice Department while signaling a more aggressive posture toward national fraud investigations under the Trump administration.