A top Senate Democrat on Friday objected on his party’s behalf to President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Pam Bondi, Trump’s onetime personal attorney, as his nominee for attorney general.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Friday he’s aware of “serious questions” about Bondi’s past conduct, and is worried about Trump’s team nominating her before she’s gone through the customary FBI background check.
Trump announced Thursday that Bondi — the former attorney general of Florida, and a lawyer who helped defend Trump during his first impeachment trial — would replace former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as his pick to lead the Department of Justice. Gaetz, who was under a House Ethics Committee investigation for sex trafficking and illicit drug use until his abrupt resignation from Congress, withdrew his nomination earlier on Thursday as scrutiny around him mounted.
“After the controversial announcement and awkward withdrawal of Matt Gaetz, the Senate and the Senate Judiciary Committee should insist that President-elect Trump, like prior Presidents-elect of both parties, follow the rules,” Durbin continued, noting the lack of a formal background check on Bondi.
Democracy In The Balance
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
Bondi has been under fierce scrutiny for taking a $25,000 check from the Trump Foundation around the same time that Florida was considering joining an investigation into alleged fraud at the since-shuttered Trump University. She ultimately declined to join the probe, and both she and Trump have denied that the payment was a quid pro quo.
In September 2016, just ahead of Trump’s first presidential victory, the IRS determined that his donation to Bondi’s political action committee violated laws banning political contributions from nonprofit organizations. Trump was ordered to pay a fine.
Bondi has also worked as a lobbyist for the government of Qatar and several private American companies, including General Motors, Uber and Amazon.