On August 13, 2026, Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General of the newly established National Fraud Division, issued a memorandum (the McDonald Memo) announcing that the Fraud Division will prioritize prosecution of fraud in five critical areas: (1) public trust and financial integrity, (2) healthcare fraud, (3) criminal tax enforcement, (4) global trade and commerce, and (5) corporate misconduct.
Less than a week later, the DOJ promulgated a regulation by then-Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that empowers the Fraud Division to prosecute criminal frauds (except those assigned to the Antitrust Division), tax fraud, criminal trade fraud matters, any criminal proceedings related to monies owed or paid to the United States, and criminal healthcare fraud and controlled substances diversion schemes.
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