US president-elect Donald Trump has nominated Pam Bondi for attorney-general just hours after Matt Gaetz, his initial pick, withdrew from consideration for the role.
The unexpected move injected fresh drama into Trump’s selection of cabinet nominees, as he seeks to swiftly secure a head for the Department of Justice, one of the most important posts in his incoming administration.
A former Florida attorney-general, Bondi is seen as a less controversial pick than Gaetz, the former firebrand congressman. But she is a Trump ally who defended the president-elect’s efforts to question the result of the 2020 election.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not any more,” Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social on Thursday. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”
He added that Bondi, a former Florida attorney-general, was “smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”
Bondi is a partner at Ballard Partners, an influential lobbying firm in Washington, where she chairs its corporate regulatory compliance practice. She could not immediately be reached for comment.