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NPR Washington Desk, NPR

Trump names former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his new pick for U.S. attorney general

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Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference meeting on Feb. 23 in National Harbor, Md.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference meeting on Feb. 23 in National Harbor, Md.
Mandel Ngan | AFP via Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump has named Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, as his next pick for U.S. attorney general.

Bondi, who served as Florida's top prosecutor from 2011 to 2019, is a longtime ally of Trump’s and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial. She leads the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former staffers from Trump's first presidency.

In a statement announcing the selection, Trump said: “Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families. Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop the trafficking of deadly drugs, and reduce the tragedy of Fentanyl Overdose Deaths, which have destroyed many families across our Country. She did such an incredible job, that I asked her to serve on our Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during my first Term — We saved many lives!”

Trump added: “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.”

The Department of Justice has been key to Trump's agenda for his second term as he potentially seeks to make the department more accountable to the president and go after his perceived enemies. Trump’s Vice President-elect JD Vance called the role of attorney general the most important job in the next administration, after the president.

Whoever winds up in the role will have to enforce Trump’s agenda while also overseeing the day-to-day operations of a department of more than 115,000 people, which prosecutes crimes, polices businesses, protects civil rights and defends U.S. laws across all facets of government.

Bondi’s selection continues Trump’s practice of choosing his former lawyers for senior roles in his new administration. Last week, he picked former federal prosecutor Todd Blanche as his deputy attorney general and Emil Bove as principal associate deputy attorney general, who would be acting deputy attorney general while Blanche is awaiting confirmation. Both men defended Trump in his legal cases, including the New York criminal case in which a jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts. Trump has not been sentenced in that case.

The selection of former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s prior pick for attorney general, faced controversy from the day he was selected last week, stemming from allegations that he participated in sex parties, used illegal drugs and had sex with a minor — allegations that Gaetz has consistently denied. The FBI investigated these charges beginning in 2021, but the Justice Department never brought charges.

Some lawmakers were also concerned Gaetz lacked the temperament and experience to lead a department, which has long valued its independence and impartiality in enforcing the law.

Copyright 2024, NPR