Vice President JD Vance swore in his new deputy on Wednesday who will help him combat public fraud by leading the Department of Justice’s anti-fraud division.

Colin McDonald, a federal prosecutor who was confirmed by the Senate last month, was sworn in as the Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement and will be a critical part of Vance's national fraud task force.

"Glad to swear in my friend Colin McDonald today," Vance posted on X. "He will do big things in this new job and ensure that no fraud against the taxpayer is too big or too small to prosecute."

President Donald Trump created the task force last month, which comes after public welfare fraud entered the public spotlight following revelations of large-scale public funds abuse in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The scams, which involved taking federal funds from state-administered social services programs in the 2020s, have cost taxpayers, according to some estimates, $9 billion and have resulted in roughly 50 people being convicted. 

“This is a huge step towards achieving the administration’s whole of government approach to rooting out fraud and finding the criminals and fraudsters who have taken advantage of American taxpayers for far too long,” a Vance spokesperson told The Daily Signal. “Colin McDonald will be a valuable asset to the War on Fraud as assistant attorney general.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.