Trump DOJ Deploys $300 Million Special Prosecutor Force to Root Out Fraud

The Trump administration is upping its anti-fraud efforts with $300 million in funding to investigate and prosecute fraudsters and drug traffickers.

The Justice Department announced the “Special Attorneys Program,” in which state, local, tribal, and territorial governments can apply for grants for a federal prosecutor to probe crimes in their jurisdictions.

This is part of a broader whole-of-government effort following President Donald Trump’s appointment of a Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance. The task force aims to work with every department and agency to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.

A key focus of the program would be investigating illegal aliens taking advantage of federal benefits, as well as drug and human trafficking crimes, according to the DOJ.

“This unprecedented funding opportunity is part of the Department of Justice’s historic effort to activate every available tool to secure the physical and financial security of our nation,” Colin McDonald, assistant attorney general for the National Fraud Enforcement Division, said in a public statement.

“We invite prosecutors across the country to join the mission to eliminate fraud, defeat the drug cartels, and rescue victims of trafficking,” McDonald added.

Under the Special Attorneys Program, the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division will appoint a special attorney in a U.S. attorney’s office for the qualifying jurisdiction.

The Trump administration has increased its anti-fraud efforts following reports of about $9 billion in fraud in Minnesota that included several politically connected nonprofits accessing federal funds.

This week, the Justice Department secured a grand jury indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center on charges it paid about $3 million to various white supremacist organizations and misled donors and banks.

The Justice Department has also been investigating alleged hospice fraud in California.