“A vote for Mr. McDonald is a vote to attack this fraud epidemic head on. It is a vote to prosecute criminals. It is a vote to protect hardworking American taxpayers.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today spoke prior to confirming Colin McDonald as the Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement.
Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.
Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:
“The Senate will soon confirm Colin McDonald to be the Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement. This is an entirely new position and new division inside the Department of Justice. It reflects President Trump’s forceful actions to root out waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption.
“I met with Mr. McDonald in my office a few weeks ago. He is the right person to lead this effort. His track record as a prosecutor in California, in Hawaii, and at the Department of Justice is exceptional. He has successfully taken down drug traffickers, human smugglers, and corrupt officials. He has proven to be especially experienced in investigating and prosecuting fraud.
“Mr. McDonald is a noble public servant. I strongly support his nomination. He will be a dedicated fighter of fraud. America needs a fighter of fraud on the job immediately.
“Let me remind you why we are here in the first place. In cities and states across the country, criminals are stealing staggering sums of money from hardworking American taxpayers.
“The American people are being robbed – and they know it. They see waste. They see fraud. They see abuse. They see corruption. They are sick and tired of it. Americans are fed up with welfare criminals and the elected officials who tolerate them. Democrats in big cities and liberal states look the other way. The criminals know it.
“Remember the fraudulent day care center in Minnesota? No children were actually enrolled. It was a front. It was set up to siphon money from the Federal Treasury. State officials in Minnesota looked the other way. Criminals are emboldened.
“Democrats are complicit in turning the United States Treasury into an automated teller machine. The Treasury has become an ATM for crooks, criminals, and corruption.
“The fraud epidemic in Minnesota happened when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were in the White House. The current Governor Tim Walz is still in office. Recall, he was Kamala Harris’s Vice Presidential nominee in the 2024 election. Fraud spread like wildfire on their watch.
“In one particularly outrageous scheme, criminals falsified diagnoses of autism. They bribed parents with thousands of dollars of government money to use their children’s name on falsified documents. The record shows that many parents actively negotiated to be paid even higher rates for the bribes. The parents who were in on the scams even threatened to move their children to competing fraudulent providers unless they received more money. And these were children without autism. They needed no treatment.
“Let me tell you how bad it was. In 2018, the Minnesota Medicaid program designed to help children with autism spent $6 million. Five years later, due to massive criminal fraud, the price tag ballooned from $6 million to $193 million. Evidence of fraud doesn’t get much clearer than that.
“Of course, Minnesota is not the only liberal state with substantial fraud. There is also widespread fraud in California’s Medicaid programs. CBS News reported just last week that over a third of hospice providers in Los Angeles ‘trigger multiple red flags for fraud.’
“A vote for Mr. McDonald is a vote to attack this fraud epidemic head on. It is a vote to prosecute criminals. It is a vote to protect hardworking American taxpayers. I want to congratulate Mr. McDonald on his nomination. America needs him on the job immediately. I look forward to voting for his confirmation.”
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