Trump Picks Former Florida AG Pam Bondi For Justice Department After Matt Gaetz Withdraws

President-elect Donald Trump picked Pam Bondi, Florida’s former attorney general, to serve as U.S. attorney general in his second administration after his initial pick, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration amid controversy.

What Happened: Trump announced the nomination Thursday on Truth Social, his social media platform, declaring his intent to reshape the Department of Justice.

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump wrote. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again,”

Bondi, who served as Florida’s top prosecutor from 2011 to 2019, previously demonstrated loyalty to Trump by joining his defense team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. During that trial, Trump faced charges of attempting to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Biden family.

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Why It Metters: The nomination comes hours after Gaetz, who had been nominated on Nov 13, withdrew his name from consideration. The former congressman’s nomination faced significant hurdles due to past controversies, including a Justice Department sex-trafficking investigation that concluded without charges.

The House Ethics Committee, which launched its own probe in 2021, reached a deadlock Wednesday on whether to release its investigative report.

Gaetz, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, had submitted his resignation from Congress the same day as his initial nomination.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.