Who is Pam Bondi, Donald Trump’s new pick for attorney general?

President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday was forced to choose a new candidate for attorney general after his first choice withdrew from consideration amid a firestorm of controversy surrounding sexual misconduct allegations.

With the former congressman from Florida Matt Gaetz Since the candidacy, Trump has tapped another of his staunchest loyalists—Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general—to take over the Department of Justice.

Although Gaetz has always denied the allegations against him, Trump reportedly reported it Gaetz shouted before retreating to say that he will not have the votes confirmed by the Senate. Bondi, by comparison, should have an easier time getting the upper house approved – but she’s no stranger to controversy either.

A loyal Trump loyalist

Like other Trump cabinet picks, Bondi was fiercely loyal to Trump. She endorsed Trump’s first bid for president in March 2016, shortly before Florida’s GOP primary, throwing her support behind her state’s candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).

She then served on Trump’s first transition team early in his first administration and had previously been in the running for attorney general when Trump’s first official in the role, Jeff Sessions, was tapped in 2018. William Barr eventually got the position.

Bondi was also part of the team that helped Trump fight his first impeachment trial in 2020, in which Trump was charged but ultimately not convicted of abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Congress.

At the time, Bondi stepped up messages from other Trump allies attacking the impeachment and accusing Joe Biden— then a private citizen after the vice presidency ended — of being involved in corruption with his son, Hunter. Those allegations were never proven.

In addition to winning Trump’s endorsement, Bondi is close with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump. On Tuesday, Bondi argued Lara Trump to replace Rubio in the Senate if confirmed as secretary of state. “No one works as hard as Lara Trump,” Bondi said in one statement of support.

Making history

In 2010, Bondi became the first woman to be elected as Florida’s attorney general. She did so after securing the support of the former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the primary.

During his time in the role, from 2011 to 2019, Bondi took a strong stance on issues such as human trafficking and launched an unsuccessful legal challenge to oust the then-president. Barack ObamaThe Affordable Care Act. She also started a lawsuit in Florida against drug companies that make opioids.

In 2013, she was criticized for asking then-Gov. Rick Scott to delay the execution of a murderer because it clashed with a fundraiser for her re-election campaign. Bondi he apologized for the request and said it won’t happen again.

The Trump University saga

Also that year, Bondi’s office received complaints about Trump University, the president-elect’s for-profit school.

Her aides have said Bondi is considering joining a New York lawsuit against Trump University over the fraud allegations. After Bondi’s political action committee received a $25,000 check from the Trump family’s charitable foundationBondi’s office chose not to pursue the case.

Both Bondi and Trump have denied wrongdoing over the payment. Trump eventually paid a $2,500 fine to the IRS in 2016 in connection with the donation, which violated laws against charities supporting political activity. In January 2017, just before his first inauguration, Trump also paid $25 million to settle fraud cases against Trump University.

Spreading the word

After her tenure as Florida attorney general ended, Bondi joined Ballard Partners — the lobbying firm where Susie Wiles, Trump’s campaign manager and new White House chief of staff, was a partner.

Bondi also lobbied on behalf of a Kuwaiti firm, according to The Associated Pressand registered as a foreign agent for the government of Qatar. She has also represented companies such as General Motors, Uber and Amazon, according to the report The New York Times.

Like other Trump cabinet picks, Bondi gained national attention through appearances on Fox News. She supported Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election and was asked to back up the “fake ballot” claims she made in one place. awkward exchange during the The fox and friends interview. Bondi did not back up his claims.

A scandal of dogs

Governor of South Dakota. Kristi Noem is not the only appointee in the new Trump administration with a scandal based on dogs in her name.

Bondi was once involved in a bizarre and very public spat with a Louisiana family whose dog—a St. Bernard named Master Tank – disappeared during Hurricane Katrina. The family alleged that Bondi stole the dog, while Bondi claimed the family neglected their pet.

The family denied the allegation and filed a lawsuit, but the case was settled before going to trial. Bondi returned Master Tank to the family.