TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday he will nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to be U.S. Attorney General.
The announcement came just hours after his first pick, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”
Bondi, who is from Tampa, served as the 37th Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019 and made history as the first woman elected to the office. She spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County before that.
She is also a longtime Trump ally, having served as one of Trump’s defense lawyers during his first impeachment trial in 2020 and as a chair at the American First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers.
Gaetz was initially slated to fill the position but withdrew amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed. The investigation ended last year with no charges, and Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
He came to his decision after meeting with senators a day beforehand.
“I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many,” Gaetz wrote on social media. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.”