What you need to know about Trump’s new attorney general candidate, Pam Bondi

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi has been selected to serve by Donald Trump. US attorney general Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration just hours after his first choice, after the federal sex trafficking investigation and approval of the ethics investigation’s ability were thrown into doubt.

The 59-year-old has long been in Trump’s orbit, and his name was floated as a potential candidate for the nation’s top law enforcement role during Trump’s first term. Trump announced his plans to nominate Bondi in a social media post on Thursday.

If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump’s Cabinet given Republicans’ views. Threat of revenge against perceived enemies There are concerns among Democrats that he will try to manipulate the Justice Department to his liking.

A few things you need to know about Bondi:

He was a fixture in Trump’s world for a long time

Bondi has been our long-time ally. In March 2016, on the eve of the Republican primary in Florida, Bondi supported Trump at a rally and chose Trump over the candidate of her home state, Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

He gained national attention by appearing as Trump’s defender on Fox News and gave a notable speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention as Trump emerged as the party’s surprising nominee. During the remarks, some in the crowd began chanting “Lock her up” about Trump’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

“He responded by saying ‘Lock her up,’ I loved that,” Bondi said.

He served on Trump’s first transition team as he prepared to move into the White House.

When Trump’s first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was fired in 2018, Bondi’s name was publicly floated as a possible candidate for the job. Trump said at the time that he would “love” Bondi to join the administration. He eventually chose William Barr instead.

He remained in Trump’s orbit thereafter, including after he left office. He served as president of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank founded by former Trump administration employees to lay the groundwork if Trump wins a second term.

She was Florida’s first female attorney general

Bondi made history in 2010 when she was named Florida’s first female attorney general. Although the Tampa native spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor with the Hillsborough County State’s Attorney’s Office, he was politically unknown while serving as the state’s top law enforcement officer.

Bondi surged in the primary after being endorsed by former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

He campaigned on a message of making strong use of the state’s top legal office by challenging then-President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. He also called for his state to adopt Arizona’s “show me your papers” immigration law, which sparked national debate.

Bondi, who is Florida’s attorney general, has highlighted human trafficking problems and called for tightening state laws against traffickers. He held this position from 2011 to 2019.

Worked as a lobbyist for both US and foreign clients

Bondi worked as a lobbyist for Ballard Partners, a powerful Florida-based firm where Trump’s campaign chief and new chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is also a partner. Its U.S. clients include General Motors, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, and a Christian anti-human trafficking advocacy group.

He also lobbied for a Kuwaiti firm, according to Justice Department foreign agent filings and congressional lobbying documents. Registered as a foreign representative on behalf of the government of Qatar; their work was related to efforts to combat human trafficking ahead of the World Cup in 2022.

Bondi also represented KGL Investment Company KSCC, a Kuwaiti firm also known as KGLI, and lobbied the White House, National Security Council, State Department, and Congress on immigration policy, human rights, and economic sanctions.

He defended Trump in his first impeachment trial

Bondi stepped away from lobbying to serve on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020.

Allegedly accused of abuse of power – but not convicted He pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate his Democratic rivals while vital U.S. security aid was withheld. He was also charged with obstructing Congress to impede investigative efforts.

Trump wanted Ukraine’s president to make a public commitment to investigate Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son who serves on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. He pushed for an investigation while suspending nearly $400 million in military aid.

Bondi was assigned to support the White House’s messaging and communications. Trump and his allies wanted delegitimize dismissal He aims from the beginning to brush the whole thing off as nonsense.

He criticized the criminal cases filed against Trump

In addition to the criminal cases filed against Trump, Bondi has also been a vocal critic of special counsel Jack Smith, who has accused Trump in two federal lawsuits. On a radio show, he criticized Smith and other prosecutors who charged Trump as “horrible” people trying to make a name for themselves by “going after Donald Trump and weaponizing our legal system.”

Bondi’s overlap with Smith, who brought two federal charges against Trump, is unlikely to be confirmed in time Both are expected to expire before the new president takes office. Special advisors have historically been expected to produce publicly available reports on their work, but it remains unclear when such a document might be released.

Bondi was also among a group of Republicans who joined a hush-money trial in New York in May to support Trump, which resulted in 34 felony convictions.

As president, Trump has called for investigations of political opponents like Hillary Clinton and has sought to use the Justice Department’s law enforcement powers to advance his own interests, including trying to overturn the 2020 election results. Bondi seems likely to please him.

He would inherit a Justice Department that is expected to take a sharp turn on civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecution of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Defendants to whom Trump promised pardon.

He had a few of his own political issues

Bondi publicly apologized in 2013, while serving as attorney general, for trying to delay the execution of a convicted murderer because it conflicted with his re-election campaign fundraiser.

The attorney general, who represents the state in death penalty appeals, is usually present on the execution date of cases in case of last-minute legal issues.

Bondi later said she was wrong and was sorry for making the request to then-Gov. Rick Scott postponed the execution of Marshall Lee Gore by three weeks.

bondi Personally requested political contributions in 2013 Trump’s office was weighing whether to sue New York over allegations of fraud related to Trump University.

Embers He cut a check for $25,000 From his family’s charity to a political committee supporting Bondi, in violation of legal bans on charities supporting partisan political activity. After the check arrived, Bondi’s office declined to sue Trump’s company for fraud, citing a lack of sufficient justification.

Both Trump and Bondi deny wrongdoing state ethics commission He dismissed the complaints, and a prosecutor appointed by then-GOP Gov. Rick Scott determined he was there. There is not enough evidence to support bribery charges from your donation.

“This is old and discredited news,” Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said.

Two days before he was sworn in as president in January 2017, Trump paid $25 million To resolve three lawsuits alleging Trump University defrauded its students.

Trump also paid money $2,500 fine to IRS For illegal political donations from the Donald J. Trump Foundation to support Bondi. forced to dissolve He is in the middle of an investigation by New York state.

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It has long been reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker in Washington contributed to this report.

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