President-elect Donald Trump has named longtime ally and veteran prosecutor Pam Bondi as his new pick for attorney general, hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration.
Bondi has a long track record in law enforcement and previously served as Florida’s attorney general.
A staunch ally of Trump, she was part of Trump’s legal team. His first Senate impeachment trial And also supported him publicly by appearing in the court. The trial of his silent money In New York
“Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on violent criminals, and she made the streets safer for Florida families,” Trump said in a social media post announcing his selection.
If confirmed by the Senate, Bondi will become the country’s chief law enforcement officer, in charge of the Justice Department’s more than 115,000 employees and roughly $45 billion (£35.7bn) budget.
“For too long, the partisan Justice Department has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — not anymore,” Trump wrote Thursday evening.
“Pam will refocus on DOJ. [Department of Justice] for its intended purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again.”
Trump’s plans for the department include ending “government at gunpoint,” securing U.S. borders, dismantling criminal organizations and restoring Americans’ “severely broken trust and confidence” in the department.
Trump’s transition team will hope Bondi’s path to the nomination will be less tumultuous than Gaetz’s.
Reacting to the announcement, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham predicted that Bondi would be “confirmed soon”, calling his selection “a grand slam, a touchdown, a hole-in-one, an ace, a hat trick, a slam dunk.” “Olympic Gold Medal Pick”.
News of Bondi’s nomination came about six hours after Gaetz said he would not seek a high-profile cabinet post, following days of debate over whether to release a congressional report on sexual misconduct allegations against him. will go
In announcing his withdrawal, the 41-year-old said the controversy over his potential nomination was “unfairly becoming a distraction” for the work of the incoming Trump administration.
The report included the findings of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use. Gaetz has vehemently denied the claims but said he hoped to back off and avoid an “unnecessarily prolonged Washington conflict.”
Later Thursday, Gaetz congratulated Bondi, calling her “a wonderful choice for President Trump.”
“She is a proven litigator, an inspirational leader and a champion for all Americans. She will bring needed reforms to the DOJ,” he said.
It’s unclear whether Gaetz, who resigned his House seat shortly after Trump tapped him for attorney general, will seek to retain his seat.
Since his landslide election victory earlier this month, Trump has named several close allies to fill top positions in his administration.
