WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday night he plans to nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his latest choice for U.S. attorney general.
Trump’s announcement came just hours after another Floridian, former congressman Matt Gaetz, withdrew as Trump’s expected nominee for the highest law enforcement position in the country.
Gaetz was up for the nomination eight days ago but faced stiff opposition from Republican senators after years of investigations into alleged drug operate and payments for sex.
“Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, cracking down on violent criminals and making the streets safe for families in Florida,” Trump said wrote on social media. “As Florida’s first female attorney general, she then worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs and alleviate the tragedy of fentanyl overdose deaths that have devastated many families across our country. She did such great work that I asked her to serve on our Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during my first term – we saved many lives!”
Trump added that Bondi would “refocus the DOJ on its intended purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again.”
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, welcomed her nomination.
“Well done, Mr. President. “The election of Pam Bondi as Attorney General is a grand slam, touchdown, hole in one, ace, hat trick, slam dunk, Olympic gold medal,” Graham wrote on social media. “She will be confirmed quickly because she deserves quick confirmation.”
Women as Attorneys General
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bondi would be the third woman to serve as attorney general and the first during a Republican administration.
Janet Reno was the first woman to become attorney general, serving in the role from 1993 to 2001 during the Clinton administration. Loretta E. Lynch became the second female attorney general during the Obama administration from 2015 to 2017.
Bondi is a longtime Trump ally. In 2016, during the Republican National Convention, She led the “lock her up” chants with then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Bondi defended the former president in his first impeachment trial and heads the legal arm of the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute. She also supported Trump’s baseless accusation that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. She was there to support Trump outside his hush money trial in New York earlier this year.
She served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019, where she led the opposition to the 2010 health care law.
Bondi background
Bondi graduated from the University of Florida and received her law degree from Stetson Law School in 1990. She was admitted to the Florida bar in 1991.
Bondi is registered as a lobbyist for Ballard Partners LLC in Washington, D.C., where she lobbies on behalf of the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, Inc. and the Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund, according to congressional lobbying records.
The attorney general is responsible for overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice and the 115,000 federal employees who work in its dozens of departments.
The DOJ is comprised of numerous federal law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as U.S. attorneys.
The Florida Democratic Party issued a statement in response to Trump’s announcement highlighting Bondi’s role in challenging the landmark health care law.
“Americans dodged a bullet with Gaetz’s retirement, but Trump’s second choice for attorney general is no better,” said state party chairwoman Nikki Fried. “Don’t forget – Pam Bondi tried to take away health care from millions of Floridians. She was the leader in the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act and repeal the provision rule. She filed the original lawsuit and was the lead plaintiff in the case seeking to eliminate affordable care. When Donald Trump says he will end the ACA, believe him now that he has nominated Pam Bondi to finish the job.”
Last updated on November 21, 2024 at 7:53 p.m
