Trump taps Pam Bondi for AG after Matt Gaetz withdraws

Pam Bondi was nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump to be the next attorney general late on Thursday.

"Pam will refocus the [Department of Justice] to its intended purpose of fight crime, and making America safe again," Trump said on social media.

The announcement came hours after Trump's previous nominee, former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew from the selection process on Thursday, after widespread opposition including from within his Republican Party over sex trafficking allegations.

"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," Gaetz said.

Pam Bondi's ties with Trump 

Bondi served as Florida's first female attorney general between 2011 and 2019, making her a more conventional pick compared to Gaetz, who does not have experience as a prosecutor.

She is also a staunch Trump ally who has supported him in many ways over the years.

Bondi served as a member of Trump's legal team during his first Senate impeachment trial, pushed to delegitimize voting in the swing state of Pennsylvania at the 2020 election, showed up to support Trump during his hush money trial in New York, and helped lead the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, a think-tank formed by former Trump staffers.

"For too long, the partisan Department of Justice (DOJ) has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — not anymore," Trump said.

Gaetz faced scrutiny over fitness for office

The news comes after Gaetz, the former Florida congressman, who was nominated last week, faced questions over his fitness to serve as the country's top law enforcement official and his past conduct.

The Justice Department investigated Gaetz for nearly three years into potential sex trafficking violations in a probe that ended last year without charges being brought.

The 42-year-old had also faced a lengthy probe by a congressional ethics panel into possible sexual misconduct and drug use but he resigned last week from his seat in the House of Representatives, which would usually mark the end of a congressional investigation into the matter.

Gaetz denied all of the allegations he faced but said in his statement on X that he hoped to avoid a "needlessly protracted Washington scuffle." 

Republicans on Wednesday declined to release the House Ethics Committee's findings over objections from Democrats in a split vote.

Trump looks forward to Gaetz's next step

Reacting to the news, Trump took to his Truth Social network to say he was looking forward to seeing what Gaetz will do next after withdrawing as his pick.

"He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the administration, for which he has much respect," Trump posted. "Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!"

Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, one of Trump's biggest Senate supporters, also threw his support behind Gaetz, saying on X that he believes the former congressman "will continue to contribute to our nation's wellbeing for years to come."

Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, added he is looking forward to working with Trump "regarding future nominees to get this important job up and running."

zc, km/kb (AFP, Reuters, AP)