Who Is Pam Bondi? Donald Trump's Pick As US Attorney General
Bondi served on Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first term as US President.
United States President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday picked Pam Bondi as the US Attorney General hours after his first choice Matt Gaetz withdrew his name following sexual misconduct allegations. Bondi, 59, is a former Florida's attorney general and seasoned prosecutor.
Former congressman Gaetz withdrew his consideration after becoming the subject of a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor girl as well as an illicit drug case. However, he has denied all accusations.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump said while announcing Bondi’s nomination on his Truth Social network.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again," Trump said. He added that Bondi is "smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter."
Here is everything you need to know about Pam Bondi.
Who Is Pam Bondi?
Pam Bondi was a member of Donald Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020, where he was accused of pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leveraging US military aid to launch an investigation against then-president Joe Biden.
Bondi served on Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first term as US President. She served as Florida’s Attorney General from 2011 to 2019, and has worked as a prosecutor for more than 18 years. She made history in 2010 after being elected as Florida’s first female attorney general.
A longtime aide of Trump, Bondi served as a surrogate during the 2024 campaign. In 2020, she insisted Trump had won the election in Pennsylvania, where Joe Biden had beaten him by 81,000 votes.
In 2016, Bondi endorsed Trump at an election rally, choosing him over the candidate from her own state, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
She was also on his transition team when Trump first prepared to move to the White House after being elected as President in 2020.
Bondi was part of a group of Republicans who attended Trump’s hush money criminal trial in New York, which concluded in May with a conviction on 34 felony charges.
Trump has made some unexpected appointments for key positions, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, and billionaire Elon Musk to lead a government cost-cutting initiative.
