WASHINGTON — Pam Bondi, Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Justice Department, is preparing to address inquiries on Capitol Hill regarding her allegiance to the Republican president-elect. Trump has made it clear that he intends to utilize the department to seek retribution against his perceived adversaries in the political arena.
Bondi, who previously served as Florida’s attorney general and worked as a corporate lobbyist, could potentially be one of the most examined figures in Trump’s Cabinet, particularly if she is confirmed to manage the agency that previously prosecuted Trump in two criminal cases that ultimately did not advance to trial.
Here’s an overview of Pam Bondi in anticipation of her confirmation hearing:
Bondi has solidified her position as a devoted ally of Trump and has been a consistent supporter throughout his legal challenges. She frequently defended him on various news outlets, where she remarked on the criminal cases facing him. Given Trump’s threats to retaliate against those he feels have wronged him, Bondi will likely encounter a multitude of questions about her past comments. During a 2023 Fox News segment, she stated, “The Department of Justice, the prosecutors will be prosecuted — the bad ones.”
She has characterized members of what she terms the “deep state” as being “hiding in the shadows” during Trump’s original term but asserted that “now they have a spotlight on them, and they can all be investigated.” In May, Bondi traveled to New York to show her support for Trump as he faced charges in connection with hush money payments; he was recently found guilty on 34 felony counts but received no punishment.
Following the verdict, Bondi indicated on Fox News, alongside Trump’s designated FBI director Kash Patel, that “a tremendous amount of trust is lost in the justice system tonight,” adding that “the American people see through it.” Last August, she infamously remarked on a radio show comparing special counsel Jack Smith to “a rabid dog” after Smith announced a new indictment against Trump concerning election interference. Subsequent to Trump’s victory in November, Smith abandoned both the election interference case and a separate matter connected to classified documents, adhering to Justice Department policy which discourages prosecuting incumbent presidents.
Bondi made history by being elected as Florida’s first female attorney general in 2010, succeeding Democratic state senator Dan Gelber with the endorsement of former Republican Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. As attorney general, Bondi led an effort by over two dozen states against President Barack Obama’s health care policies, although the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately upheld the legislation. She also tried to maintain Florida’s prohibition on same-sex marriage, advocating for the belief that marriage regulations should be determined by individual states.
One of her significant initiatives as attorney general involved tackling what are commonly known as “pill mills”—clinics that excessively dispense prescription pain medication, contributing to the opioid crisis in the United States. However, her tenure was not without controversy. She faced an ethics investigation arising from a political contribution solicited from Trump in 2013, during a time when her office was considering litigation against Trump University for allegations of fraud. Trump donated $25,000 to a political committee supporting Bondi through his charitable foundation, an action that contradicted legal restrictions on charities engaging in political activities. After receiving the donation, her office concluded there were insufficient grounds to proceed with a fraud lawsuit against Trump.
Both Trump and Bondi maintained their innocence regarding any misconduct, and the ethics commission ultimately dismissed the complaints. A prosecutor, selected by the then-GOP Governor Rick Scott, found inadequate evidence to substantiate bribery claims concerning the donation.
Before her role as the Florida attorney general, Bondi spent 18 years prosecuting cases in the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office, covering a broad spectrum of legal issues from domestic violence to capital murder. Notably, she was involved in the 2006 prosecution of former baseball player Dwight Gooden, who was incarcerated for probation violations related to drug use.
After her time as attorney general, Bondi worked extensively in lobbying, representing various corporations including prominent entities like Amazon and Uber during her tenure at Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm connected to Trump. Her role involved leading efforts on corporate regulatory compliance, addressing public policy issues like human trafficking, opioid addiction, and data privacy. Furthermore, she registered as a foreign agent for Qatar, focusing on anti-human trafficking initiatives prior to the 2022 World Cup and also represented a Kuwaiti firm regarding lobbying efforts on U.S. immigration policy and sanctions.
Alongside her lobbying endeavors, Bondi held roles with the America First Policy Institute, a think tank established by former Trump administration officials to prepare for a possible second Trump presidency. She notably filed a brief in the Supreme Court favoring a high school football coach dismissed for praying on the field following games.
Bondi was part of Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial, which centered on charges of abuse of power linked to his dealings with Ukraine in an attempt to investigate then-candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Despite Trump’s claims of innocence, he was impeached by the House and subsequently acquitted by the Senate. Bondi’s role was primarily enhancing the White House’s public relations efforts, aiming to discredit the impeachment process from the outset.
Following the 2020 election, Bondi was a vocal supporter of Trump’s attempts to contest his defeat to Biden, making claims of election fraud. At a press conference in Philadelphia, she joined then-Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and alleged that evidence of cheating existed, although the allegations of widespread voter fraud that would have affected the election’s outcome have been debunked. Despite claiming that “fake ballots” were introduced and accusing poll workers of obstructing proper observation by Republicans, no substantive evidence supporting her claims has been established.
