Donald Trump’s loyal supporter, Pam Bondi, has been chosen for a crucial role in his second administration. Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, was selected to be the nation’s top law enforcement official by Trump after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration due to Senate opposition.
Bondi, a partner at Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm linked to top Trump officials, is co-chair of the law and justice division at the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute. She has a long history of supporting Trump and was considered for various roles in his administration after his 2016 election victory.
Bondi’s nomination for attorney general is expected to face an easier path to confirmation than Gaetz, who was plagued by allegations of misconduct. Here are five key things to know about Bondi:
She was the first female attorney general in Florida
Bondi served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011-2019, becoming the first woman to hold the office. She led the state’s litigation against opioid manufacturers, a case that was resolved after her tenure.
After leaving office due to term limits, Bondi worked on Trump’s transition team following his first election victory.
She has a close relationship with Lara Trump
Bondi and Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law and RNC chair, campaigned together against a dog racing ban in Florida. Bondi has publicly supported Lara Trump as a potential replacement for Sen. Marco Rubio.
She’s a former Trump lawyer
Bondi previously served as a senior adviser and lawyer for Trump during his first impeachment proceedings. She defended Trump on various media platforms during his impeachment trial, which ended in his acquittal by the Senate.
She nixed the Trump University fraud case
In 2016, Bondi faced scrutiny for her office’s decision not to pursue a fraud investigation into Trump University after Trump donated to her political committee. Trump later settled fraud complaints against the university for $25 million.
Bondi denied any wrongdoing and stated that the donation did not influence her office’s actions regarding Trump University.
Her public dog custody battle
Bondi was involved in a public custody dispute with Hurricane Katrina victims over a St. Bernard she adopted. The family sued Bondi for refusing to return the dog, accusing them of neglect. After a 16-month dispute, Bondi returned the dog to the family with provisions for its care.
