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Confirmation hearings for Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi begin in Washington: Career, education, and family
Confirmation hearings for Pam Bondi, Donald Trump’s Attorney General nominee begin on Captiol Hill. How this former-Democrat ended up in Trump world.
This week, President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees will face Senate committees, where they will be questioned about their experience and personal conduct before the body votes on their confirmation. On Wednesday, January 15, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, nominated by the president-elect to serve as U.S. Attorney General—the top law enforcement position in the U.S. government—will face her confirmation hearing.
After former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz recused himself from the nomination process, the transition team quickly announced Pam Bondi as his replacement to lead the Department of Justice. Bondi, though a Trump loyalist like Gaetz, has stronger credentials and a cleaner record, which is expected to make the confirmation hearings significantly less controversial. Her professional qualifications make her nomination more palatable to factions within the Republican Party concerned about the reputational damage that could have resulted from supporting Gaetz.
That does not mean that it will be smooth sailing this morning for Bondi on Capitol Hill. Democrats are expected to ask tough questions about her work as a lawyer for Donald Trump during one of his impeachment trials, her comments regarding election fraud after the 2020 election, and her decision not to pursue investigations into Trump businesses accused of abusing consumers in Florida during her tenure as Attorney General.
During her opening comments at the confirmation hearing, Bondi acknowledged family members who traveled to Washington, DC. Her third husband, John Wakefield, was present, along with her siblings, nieces, and nephews.
Bondi’s education background and professional experience
Bondi served as Attorney General of Florida from 2011 to 2019. During the first Trump administration, she was part of the legal team representing him during his impeachment proceedings in Congress. From 2011 to 2019, Bondi held the position of Attorney General of Florida. During the initial Trump administration, she was a member of the legal team representing him in the impeachment proceedings held by Congress.
A Tampa native, Bondi attended the University of Florida, where she graduated with a degree in criminal justice in 1987. She continued her education at Stetson University College of Law, earning her Juris Doctor in 1990.
The following year, she passed the bar exam and began working as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County. Bondi served as an Assistant State Attorney until she launched her campaign for Attorney General of Florida in 2010. The 2010 Republican primary was competitive, but Bondi employed strategies that would later be adopted by Donald Trump, such as leveraging media appearances on Fox News, to secure her victory.
Bondi showed her commitment to the President-elect throughout his administration. In addition to representing him during his Senate impeachment, she claimed during the 2020 election that large-scale voter fraud operations were being carried out in the swing states of Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. When asked on Fox News to provide evidence of these crimes, she failed to do so. In her response, she claimed that illegally cast ballots, including some with the names of dead people, were being counted. These claims have been investigated, and no charges have ever been brought forward. Nevertheless, it could be that, with Bondi as the head law enforcement officer of the United States, they could once again be opened.