Donald Trump names Pam Bondi as attorney general when Matt Gaetz steps down. who is she

US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced the appointment of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as US Attorney General. This decision follows the withdrawal of his original candidate, the former congressman Matt Gaetzwho was accused of engaging in sexual activity with a 17-year-old minor and involvement in illicit drug use. He, however, denied the allegations.

Who is Pam Bondi?

Bondi, a Trump loyalist, was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial, where he was accused of abusing his power by allegedly making US military aid to Ukraine conditional on an investigation into the former vice president Joe Biden. However, he was not convicted.

She later also joined a group of Republicans supporting Trump during his criminal trial in New York, which ended in May with his conviction on 34 felony charges.

Most recently, Bondi helped lead the legal arm of America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank whose staff worked closely with the Trump campaign to help shape policy for his incoming administration.

Speaking about her appointment, Trump said in a social media post: “For too long, the partisan Justice Department has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – No more. Pam will refocus the DOJ on its goal of fighting crime and making America safe again.”

Bondi’s resume contrasts with that of Gaetz, who has little of the traditional experience expected of an attorney general. Therefore, she likely faces less opposition from senators involved in the confirmation process

Bondi, being a Trump ally, is expected to carry out Trump’s political agenda. She has been a vocal critic of the criminal cases against Trump, as well as Jack Smith, the special counsel who prosecuted Trump in two federal cases. In a radio appearance, she accused Smith and other prosecutors who have accused Trump of being “horrible” people who she said are trying to make a name for themselves by “going after Donald Trump and screwing up our legal system “.

If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most watched members of Trump’s Cabinet, given the Republican’s threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and Democratic concerns that he will try to bend the Justice Department to his will saddle. A recent Supreme Court opinion not only granted broad immunity to former presidents, but also asserted the president’s exclusive authority over the Justice Department’s investigative functions.

Bondi would inherit a Justice Department expected to pivot sharply on civil rights, corporate law enforcement and the prosecution of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol – defendants Trump he pledged to pardon them.

She previously served as the country’s third most populous state’s law enforcement officer from 2011 to 2019 and on Trump’s Commission on Drug and Opioid Abuse during his first administration.

(With inputs from AP and Reuters)