Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, will be nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be the U.S. attorney general in his next government.
In his announcement of the nomination, Trump said, “The partisan Department of Justice has been weaponised against me and other Republicans for far too long.” “No longer. Pam will bring the DOJ back to its original mission of combating crime and restoring American safety.
From 2011 to 2019, Bondi served as Florida’s attorney general. She filed litigation to overturn the Affordable Care Act or took part in them while she was employed.
Bondi has previously worked with the right group America First Policy Institute and defended Trump during his first impeachment hearing in the U.S. Senate.
Senate confirmation is required for Bondi’s nomination.
Bondi’s nomination coincides with former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz’s decision to withdraw from the race.
For years, Bondi, 59, has been a part of Trump’s inner circle and has continued to counsel him on legal issues. She was among the attorneys who represented Trump in his initial impeachment trial before the Senate.
“I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social.
Bondi has been a major Trump supporter for over ten years and has been involved in a number of scandals, including the “big lie,” which Trump promoted in 2020. She openly promoted the myth that he had legitimately won Pennsylvania, a battleground state.
Bondi’s attorney general reelection campaign fundraising committee received a $25,000 payment from the Trump Foundation in 2013.
Bondi’s office had a lawsuit investigating Trump and Trump University on its desk at the same time, but it decided not to join it.
Both Bondi and Trump refuted claims that she chose not to participate in the lawsuit, which was brought by the attorney general’s office in New York, because of the donation.
She led a “lock her up chant” against then-Secretary of State Hilary Clinton during her speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention and supported Trump for president.
She also spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention and co-chaired Trump’s reelection campaign.
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Bondi was reelected in 2014 after winning the 2010 election for attorney general. When her two-term maximum was reached in 2019, she resigned.
She was chosen to be a member of Trump’s defence team for his initial impeachment trial a year later. In the Senate, he was found not guilty.
Additionally, Bondi has worked for Brian Ballard’s company, Ballard Partners, since 2019 as a registered lobbyist. Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, works as a lobbyist for the company.
The Major County Sheriffs of America, the Florida Sheriffs’ Association, and the Florida Sheriffs’ Risk Management Fund are among Bondi’s most recent clients. According to federal lobbying records, her quarterly retainer costs range from $20,000 to $50,000.
According to records, she has previously represented corporate clients and investment firms, including the GEO Group, a private prison corporation, Amazon, General Motors, the MLB, Fidelity, and Uber.
Regarding “matters involving anti-human trafficking,” Bondi provided advocacy and consulting services for the Embassy of the State of Qatar in 2019 and 2020, according to foreign lobbying filings submitted by Ballard Partners. Bondi’s lobbying activities included registering as a foreign agent for the Qatari government.
She recently joined the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank founded by senior Trump administration officials. She is co-head of the Centre for Law and Justice and chair of AFPI’s Centre for Litigation.
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