President-elect Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he will nominate Pam Bondi for the position of Attorney General to put his stamp on the Department of Justice, which he believes is politically hostile to him, writes The New York Times.
Trump announced his new choice just hours after his first candidate, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his candidacy from consideration due to allegations of participating in sex parties with drugs.
The 59-year-old Bondi was part of Trump's legal team during his first impeachment and currently heads the legal division of the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank with close ties to Trump's transition team. After leaving the position of Florida Attorney General in 2019, Bondi became a lobbyist at Ballard Partners, a Florida lobbying firm led by Brian Ballard, a close associate and fundraiser for Trump. Among her past lobbying clients were General Motors, Amazon, and Uber.
Bondi has also been an outspoken critic of Trump's prosecution. This year, she traveled to New York to attend his trial in Manhattan criminal court on charges related to payments to a porn star and publicly criticized prosecutors for bringing the case and the judge for conducting the trial.
"Pam will refocus the work of the DOJ on fulfilling its purpose — fighting crime and ensuring America's safety," Trump stated on social media, announcing his choice. "I have known Pam for many years — she is smart and tough, and is the kind of fighter for America who will do an amazing job as Attorney General!"
"She doesn't have the obvious character flaws that Gaetz has," Fred Guttenberg, who clashed with Bondi over gun control measures after his 14-year-old daughter was killed during the Parkland school shooting in 2018, told NYT. "However, she is just as dangerous — possibly even more dangerous because she will always put Trump above the needs of the country."
Photo: Alex Brandon/Associated Press