Donald Trump names Pam Bondi as Attorney General as Matt Gaetz steps down. Who is she?

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced the nomination of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General. This decision follows the withdrawal of his initial nominee, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who has been accused of engaging in sexual activity with a 17-year-old minor and involvement in illicit drug use. He, however, denied the charges.

Who is Pam Bondi?

Bondi, a longtime Trump loyalist, served as one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial, where he was accused of abusing his power by allegedly conditioning U.S. military aid to Ukraine on an investigation into then-former Vice President Joe Biden. Howevr he was not convicted.

Later, she also joined a group of Republicans supporting Trump during his hush money criminal trial in New York, which concluded in May with his conviction on 34 felony counts.

Most recently, Bondi helped lead the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, a right-leaning think tank whose personnel has worked closely with Trump's campaign to help shape policy for his incoming administration.

Speaking of her appointment, Trump said in a social media post, “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans - Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”

Bondi's resume contrasts with that of Gaetz, who has little of the traditional experience expected of an attorney general. Hence, she is likely face less opposition from senators involved in the confirmation process

Bondi, being a Trump ally is expected to carry out Trump's policy agenda. She has been a vocal critic of the criminal cases against Trump as well as Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump in two federal cases. In one radio appearance, she blasted Smith and other prosecutors who have charged Trump as “horrible” people she said were trying to make names for themselves by “going after Donald Trump and weaponizing our legal system.”

If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump’s Cabinet given the Republican’s threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and concern among Democrats that he will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. A recent Supreme Court opinion not only conferred broad immunity on former presidents but also affirmed a president’s exclusive authority over the Justice Department’s investigative functions.

Bondi would inherit a Justice Department expected to pivot sharply on civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecutions of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol — defendants whom Trump has pledged to pardon.

Earlier, she served as the top law enforcement officer of the country's third most populous state from 2011 to 2019 and on Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first administration.

(With inputs AP and Reuters)