President-elect Trump has nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to be the next head of the Department of Justice.
Bondi was quickly selected just hours after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) withdrew from consideration for the job.
“For too long, a partisan Department of Justice has been used as a weapon against me and other Republicans, and that is no longer the case. Pam will lead the Department to fight crime and make America safe again.” “I have known Pam for many years. She is smart, tough, America's number one fighter, and will do a great job as Attorney General. Yes!,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Mr. Bondi served as Florida Attorney General from 2011 to 2019 under then-Gov. Rick Scott.
She is director of the Center for Litigation at the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank that is working with the Trump transition team on the administration's challenges. She is also a partner at Ballard Partners, the lobbying firm where President Trump's incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, worked.
Mr. Bondi served as a senior adviser on President Trump's first impeachment defense team and took leave from Ballard Partners for that role. She then rejoined the company founded by Florida lobbyist Brian Ballard, a former chairman of Trump's 2016 victory.
She replaces Gaetz, who was nominated as President Trump's attorney general nominee just a week ago and has quickly become the president-elect's most controversial cabinet pick.
Gates was previously investigated by the Justice Department as part of a broader sex trafficking investigation that included charges involving underage women. The department ultimately decided not to press charges, and Gaetz strongly denied any wrongdoing.
He said his nomination was a hindrance to Trump's transition team, but his withdrawal was unlikely to get the votes needed for Senate confirmation after meeting with senators this week. This suggests that he was aware of it.
Updated at 6:48pm EST
