President-elect Donald Trump named Pam Bondi as his next pick for Attorney General. This nomination comes after his previous pick, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration following opposition over allegations of sexual misconduct. In a Truth Social post, Trump announced Bondi as his choice to run the Department of Justice. He claimed the former Florida Attorney General would restructure the DOJ to focus on crime and “Making America Safe Again.”
Trump names Pam Bondi as new Attorney General after Matt Gaetz controversy
Pam Bondi has been a longtime ally of Donald Trump and was considered a potential candidate to lead the DOJ during his first term. Before stepping into state politics, Bondi worked as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office for over 18 years. She was elected as Florida’s first female Attorney General in 2010. Bondi also worked as the state’s top prosecutor until 2019.
Bondi is currently a partner at Ballad Partners, a lobbying firm. According to Ballad Partners’ website, she chairs the Corporate Regulatory Compliance practice. During her time as Attorney General of Florida, she started extensive litigation around the national opioid crisis. She was previously a part of Trump’s commission to end the crisis and combat drug abuse.
Pam Bondi has also served on various other boards. These include the Florida Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, the Substance Abuse Committee for the National Association of Attorneys General, and more. Moreover, Bondi has been part of several high-profile and diverse cases during her tenure as Florida’s Attorney General.
As per The Guardian, she faced criticism for supporting Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage after an extremist attack on an LGBTQIA+ club in Orlando in 2016. Two years later, Bondi called for the death penalty for a shooter who killed 17 students and staff in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Before serving as Attorney General of Florida, she took over a custody dispute over a dog rescued after Hurricane Katrina.
Calling her an “AMERICA FIRST Fighter,” Trump expressed his confidence in Pam Bondi as the country’s next Attorney General. The two have an extensive history together already with Bondi being a part of Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial.
Trump’s other cabinet picks include DOGE’s Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and more.