Pam Bondi, Trump’s new pick for attorney general

President-elect Donald Trump has discovered a backup to be the nation’s prime legislation enforcement officer, nominating Pam Bondi to be the U.S. legal professional common. Trump tapped Bondi for the job after his preliminary choose, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), bowed out of rivalry amid sexual misconduct and intercourse trafficking allegations.

Gaetz was seen as a hardline loyalist to the incoming president, and Trump has discovered somebody comparable in Bondi. Beforehand the Florida legal professional common, Bondi was certainly one of Trump’s protection attorneys throughout his first impeachment trial and has been intently aligned with him since he left workplace. Together with his return to the White Home imminent, Republicans will look to get Bondi’s appointment confirmed via the Senate — a transfer Trump’s first alternative was unable to perform.

Bondi’s earlier profession

Bondi, 59, was born in Florida. She earned her undergraduate diploma from the College of Florida earlier than finishing her JD at Stetson College. After school, Bondi “spent greater than 18 years as a prosecutor within the Hillsborough County State Lawyer’s Workplace,” mentioned Al Jazeera. She was elected Florida’s first girl legal professional common in 2010, holding the workplace from 2011 to 2019.

As Florida’s AG, Bondi “burdened human trafficking points and urged tightening state legal guidelines towards traffickers,” mentioned Al Jazeera. After leaving workplace as Florida’s legal professional common, Bondi began sustaining shut ties with then-President Trump whereas taking over a task on the lobbying agency Ballard Companions. She was most notably a “senior adviser on Trump’s first impeachment protection staff,” a task for which she took a go away from Ballard Companions, mentioned The Hill.

Bondi went again to the lobbying agency following the impeachment and continues to be a “associate at Ballard Companions, which can also be the place Trump’s incoming chief of employees Susie Wiles labored,” mentioned The Hill. All through her time on the agency, Bondi has “lobbied on behalf of the Qatari authorities.” She additionally not too long ago hung out working for the Trump-supporting America First Coverage Institute.

Bondi and Trump

Bondi’s longstanding relationship with Trump, which matches again to earlier than he entered politics, has some questioning her potential function as legal professional common. Most notable entails a “controversial $25,000 contribution that Trump’s basis gave to Bondi’s political motion committee throughout her 2014 reelection bid,” mentioned CNN. Some lawmakers “accused Bondi of declining to pursue an investigation into Trump College fraud allegations after receiving the donation,” although she was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing by a Florida ethics panel.

Bondi’s “historical past in court docket at instances touched hot-button points, repeatedly touchdown her within the information,” mentioned CNN. She additionally grew to become “more and more partisan throughout her two phrases in workplace, making common appearances on Fox Information after which changing into a prime Florida surrogate for Trump throughout his 2016 marketing campaign.”

Which means, if confirmed, Bondi “seems prone to oblige” Trump on his request for federal investigations into individuals he believes are political opponents, mentioned The Related Press. She additionally “supported his false claims of fraud following the 2020 election” and “appears simply positioned to choose up the mantle on Trump’s purpose of overhauling the Justice Division and his pledge for retribution,” mentioned ABC Information.

Not like Gaetz, Bondi “does not radiate scandal,” mentioned Politico. However “when Trump has confronted threats to his political profession and livelihood, Bondi has been there.” Bondi has additionally talked about the supposed weaponization of the Justice Division. Nevertheless, whereas Gaetz has spoken of his “mistrust of federal spying packages, known as for breaking apart and relocating the FBI and demanded an finish to Jan. 6 prosecutions,” Bondi has “remained publicly silent on these particular points,” so it’s unclear to what extent she would comply with Gaetz on that path.