White House Announces New DOJ Division for National Fraud Enforcement

On January 8, 2026, US Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump administration seeks to establish a new Department of Justice (DOJ) division for national fraud enforcement. The announcement was followed by a presidential factsheet detailing the new division, which will be led by a Senate-confirmed Assistant Attorney General with nationwide authority over fraud investigations and prosecutions. The Trump administration expects to announce a nominee to the position within the next several days.

According to the announcement, the new division is intended to centralize and coordinate federal fraud enforcement efforts across jurisdictions and agencies, with a particular focus on federal government programs and benefits, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens nationwide. The division will oversee both civil and criminal fraud matters and work closely with US Attorneys Offices and other federal agencies to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud activity affecting the federal government.

SCOPE AND STRUCTURE OF THE NEW DIVISION

As laid out in the announcement regarding the new division, the Assistant Attorney General heading the division will be responsible for directing national fraud enforcement strategy and coordinating multi-agency investigations. The division will have authority to oversee cross-jurisdictional matters and to provide guidance and support to DOJ components and federal agencies engaged in fraud enforcement.

In addition to investigative and prosecutorial responsibilities, the division is expected to play a policy-shaping role within DOJ. The factsheet published by the White House describes that the new Assistant Attorney General will be tasked with developing enforcement priorities and proposing reforms designed to address systemic vulnerabilities and prevent fraud affecting federal programs and the public.

While DOJ already houses multiple fraud-focused components—including the Criminal Division, Fraud Section and the Civil Division, Fraud Section, the creation of a standalone division led by a dedicated Assistant Attorney General signals an effort by the administration to consolidate oversight and elevate fraud enforcement as a distinct, department-wide priority. It is not clear whether, by virtue of this effort, existing matters or resources will be diverted from those DOJ components already dedicated to investigating and prosecuting various fraud schemes.

In addition, when announcing the new division, Vice President Vance stated that the new Assistant Attorney General heading the division will be supervised directly by President Trump and Vice President Vance. This reporting structure would be a departure from longstanding DOJ practice under which Assistant Attorneys General report through the DOJ and the Attorney General’s chain of command. Importantly, the number of Assistant Attorneys General is fixed by statute. 28 USC § 506 proscribes that the president shall appoint, with consent of the Senate, 11 Assistant Attorneys General. Therefore, the creation of an additional Assistant Attorney General likely would require congressional action, unless the administration repurposes or eliminates an existing position within DOJ.

IMPACT ON ENFORCEMENT

If implemented as described in the presidential factsheet and Vice President Vance’s announcement, the new division would reflect a structural shift in how fraud matters may be managed within DOJ. By seeking to vest nationwide fraud oversight in a single division, the administration appears to be shifting to more centralized coordination across different DOJ components and US Attorneys Offices handling fraud matters. This approach could result in more consistency in DOJ enforcement priorities and increased coordination among federal agencies. Importantly, a centralized division focused on enforcing criminal and civil laws against fraud could lead to more frequent use of parallel civil and criminal proceedings, particularly in matters involving federal funding or federal benefits programs.

For companies that receive federal funds or participate in federally regulated programs, the announcement itself, regardless of whether the new Division is implemented precisely as described, reflects the administration’s interest in increasing enforcement activity and coordinating investigations where fraud could be implicated in federal programs and benefits. Organizations should expect closer collaboration between DOJ and other federal enforcement authorities, particularly in cases involving alleged misuse of federal funds or programmatic fraud. If the administration is successful in creating this new multidistrict division, entities operating across multiple jurisdictions may also see an increased likelihood of nationally coordinated investigations rather than isolated, district-level inquiries.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

As this administration seeks to utilize federal authorities to intensify efforts to address fraud, organizations could expect increased scrutiny, interagency cooperation, and evolving policy developments. At the same time, questions and challenges may arise to the formation, scope, and structure of the new division as it takes shape, including how it will operate in practice and interact with existing DOJ components, practices, and policies. As such, companies should remain vigilant and monitor further announcements from the DOJ regarding appointments, enforcement priorities, and guidance documents related to the new division. Focusing on enhancing compliance strategies and preparing for possible inquiries or audits may help mitigate risk in an environment of increased federal attention.

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