After former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration for attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that he was selecting Pam Bondi, Florida’s former attorney general, as his replacement.
“I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States,” Trump said in a statement, adding that she was “smart and tough” and “will do a terrific job.”
Bondi was the first woman to serve as Florida’s attorney general, spending eight years in the role after working as assistant state attorney from Hillsborough County. According to Mr. Trump’s social media post, Bondi focused on curbing immigration and combating the opioid epidemic during her tenure.
Bondi then turned her attention to national politics, working in the White House as both a legal advisor and defense attorney for Mr. Trump during the Senate’s 2020 impeachment trial. She was also a surrogate for Trump’s most recent campaign.
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If confirmed, Bondi would be in charge of the Justice Department’s 100,000 employees and oversee investigative components like the FBI and DEA. And she would assume the top job in a department that has investigated and prosecuted Mr. Trump for years.
Gaetz announced on Thursday that he would withdraw his nomination for attorney general, just over a week after Trump tapped him for the post. The selection was widely considered to be the most controversial the president-elect had made, with Gaetz having been the subject of multiple investigations into alleged conduct related to sex trafficking, obstruction, sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing.
Gaetz promptly resigned from Congress following Trump’s announcement, which came days before the House Ethics Committee was set to meet to consider releasing a report into its investigation into the Florida Republican’s conduct. When the panel met days later, after its jurisdiction over Gaetz had ended with his decision to leave Congress, members said they did not reach agreement on whether to release the report. The next day, after meeting with Senate Republicans, Gaetz announced he would withdraw.
Even Senate Republicans were skeptical of Gaetz’ chances of being confirmed next year, despite being slated to hold a narrow majority in the chamber.
This is a developing story and will be updated.