BREAKING: Trump nominates Pam Bondi for attorney general

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to serve in his administration at the head of the Department of Justice.

In a post, Trump said:

"I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States. 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!
 

"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. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!"

The new pick became necessary after Trump nominated former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to the post, only to have him withdraw his name from consideration amid the slow release of documents from a House ethics investigation. Gaetz also met with GOP senators and came away from that meeting believing that it was in his best interests to withdraw. Four senators opposed him in a body with a slim GOP majority.

Bondi, who served as Florida's AG from  2011 to 2019, is the chair for litigation and co-chair at the Center for Law and Justice. She spent 18 years as a prosecutor in the state and worked on cases from domestic violence to murder. She served on the President’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission under President Donald Trump, where she worked alongside other national leaders in areas of drug prevention, interdiction, and treatment. She was also an advocate of the First Step Act.