United States president-elect Donald Trump has nominated Pam Bondi as his pick for US attorney-general after his previous choice, Matt Gaetz, announced his withdrawal from consideration.
"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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network following Gaetz's announcement.
Gaetz had been Trump's first pick for attorney-general, but the former Florida congressman stepped down amid backlash from some Republican senators, as well as Democrats and former White House officials.
Gaetz has been the subject of separate investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the House Ethics Committee over alleged criminal activity, including allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old girl.
"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 wrote on social media, announcing his decision to step aside.
Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration to be the United States' next attorney-general. Source: Getty / Mario Tama
Who is Pam Bondi?
Bondi is a staunch Trump ally who helped defend the former president against impeachment and joined lawyers who sought to overturn President Joe Biden's election.
She served as the attorney-general of Florida between 2011 and 2019, and was on Trump's Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first administration.
After the 2020 US presidential election, she echoed Trump's false claims of voter fraud without providing evidence.
Pam Bondi was a member of Donald Trump's legal team during his first Senate impeachment trial. Source: Getty / Michele Eve Sandberg/Corbis
Most recently, Bondi helped lead the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, a right-leaning think tank whose personnel has worked closely with Trump's campaign to help shape policy for his incoming administration.
Bondi's resume contrasts with that of Gaetz, who has little of the traditional experience expected of an attorney-general.
Bondi would likely face less opposition from senators involved in the confirmation process.
Donald Trump said Pam Bondi would end the "weaponisation" of the justice department. Source: AAP, AP / Alex Brandon
Trump, who was elected on 5 November
from US and state prosecutors, including a felony conviction in the state of New York, said Bondi would end the "weaponisation" of the justice department.
"Pam will refocus the DOJ (Department of Justice) to its intended purpose of fight Crime, and Making America Safe Again," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump has made several eye-catching selections for top roles, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defence secretary,
as health secretary and
to head a government cost-cutting unit.
The exit of Gaetz, 42, was the first setback for Trump and Vice-president elect JD Vance in placing key allies in top positions, but his confirmation by the Senate was widely seen as doomed due to lack of support from fellow Republicans.
