On Thursday night, President-elect Donald Trump said that Pam Bondi would be his new attorney general.
From 2011 to 2019, Bondi served as Florida’s attorney general.
Hours after former Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration, the news was made.
“The partisan Department of Justice has been used as a weapon against Republicans like me for far too long.” Trump stated on Truth Social, “Not anymore.””Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”
Additionally, Trump commended her efforts to combat the trafficking of lethal pharmaceuticals. Bondi previously served on a Trump commission that addressed drug addiction and the opioid problem.
According to the firm’s website, Bondi is a partner with the lobbying firm Ballard Partners, where she oversees the corporate regulatory compliance practice.
The Senate must confirm the attorney general position.
Bondi and Trump have a long history. She participated in lock-up chants directed against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Republican National Convention. She then served on Trump’s defense team during his initial impeachment trial.
Bondi was implicated in attempts to reverse the 2020 election results after Trump lost. At a news conference in Philadelphia, he falsely claimed that Trump had won Pennsylvania.
Trump and Bondi’s ties have previouslyfaced accusationsof impropriety, which both have denied. When Bondi was Florida’s attorney general, her campaign committee received a $25,000 payment from Trump’s charity in 2013. According to reports, the donation coincided with a request for Bondi’s office to investigate claims of fraud against Trump University.
Bondi refrained from filing a lawsuit against Trump. After an ethical organization claimed that the foundation had failed to report to tax authorities its payment to the campaign group, he paid a $2,500 fine to the IRS.
Bondi would serve as attorney general and head the Justice Department, which employs over 115,000 people and is home to the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Prisons.
Gaetz called Bondi an excellent choice and complimented Trump’s announcement on X.
“She is a champion for all Americans, an inspiring leader, and a proven litigator,” he said. She will provide DOJ with the necessary reforms.
Gaetz declared earlier Thursday that he was dropping his name from consideration for the position of attorney general, citing the fact that his “confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.”
Gaetz was accused of having intercourse with a female who was 17 years old. He has refuted the accusations.
Following his withdrawal, Trump lauded Gaetz on Truth Social, stating that he “has a wonderful future.”
Senate Republicans initially reacted more favorably to Bondi’s appointment than to Trump’s choice of Gaetz.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., stated on X that “Picking Pam Bondi for Attorney General is a grand slam, touchdown, hole in one, ace, hat trick, slam dunk, Olympic gold medal pick.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold confirmation hearings for the nominee for attorney general, has Graham as its top Republican.
Trump’s choices for high-level cabinet positions have already encountered challenges.
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, has been accused of promoting pro-Russia propaganda, while Pete Hegseth, his pick for defense secretary, is accused of sexual assault. Trump’s choice to be secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has come under fire for his past support of abortion rights as well as his anti-vaccine activity.
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