https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Bondi
Return to private life
In 2019, after her final term as Florida attorney general, Bondi was hired by Ballard Partners, a firm with close ties to Trump, and she began working as a registered foreign agent for the government of Qatar.[48] In November 2019, she was hired by the first Trump administration to help the White House during Trump's first impeachment proceedings, being given special Government employee status, allowing Bondi to simultaneously work for the government and as a lobbyist for the Arab lobby.[49][50][51] Her position was described the following month as being to "attack the process" of the impeachment inquiry.[52] On January 17, 2020, Bondi was named as part of Trump's defense team for the Senate impeachment trial.[53]
During the course of the impeachment trial, Bondi made[54] allegations that former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in corruption in Ukraine, stemming from the younger Biden's position on board of Burisma Holdings. It was also revealed that Lev Parnas, a businessman with close ties to Rudy Giuliani and Ukraine, had several meetings with Bondi in 2018 while she was the Florida attorney general, and after she left office in 2019.[55][56] In 2019, Parnas was arrested and accused of illegally funneling foreign money from Ukrainians and Russians to Republican politicians, particularly in Florida, where he lived.[57][58][59][60]
Bondi spoke in support of Trump at the 2020 Republican National Convention.[61][62] While ballots were being counted in the 2020 United States presidential election, Bondi supported Trump's claims that there was large-scale voter fraud in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.[63][64]
In an appearance on Fox News on November 5, 2020, host Steve Doocy challenged Bondi to provide evidence for her claims of fraud, which she refused to do.[65] Bondi later claimed that Trump had won Pennsylvania, despite votes there still being counted, with his opponent Joe Biden ultimately winning the state.[64]
During the following lame-duck session, Trump appointed Bondi to the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[66] The Palm Beach Post described the appointment as a reward for her loyalty to Trump.[67]
By 2024, Bondi led the legal arm of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit that planned policies for a potential second Trump presidency. She worked to file voting lawsuits in battleground states relating to the 2024 presidential election.[68]
U.S. attorney general nomination
On November 21, 2024, president-elect Trump announced she would be nominated for United States attorney general, after the withdrawal of Matt Gaetz for that position.[69][70][71]
U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary concerns about possible conflict of interest
In presenting information to the committee, Bondi's worked as lobbyist was not present to the committee. According to the committee website, Bondi did not present the following issues pertaining to her work as a partner with Ballard Partners:[72]
Bondi was a lobbyist for The GEO Group, which a private prison company. The company is a government contractor for immigration detention facilities.[73][74]The company has had experienced criticism for issues in safety issues, health care, and management practices.[75][72][76]
She had lobbied Congress in 2019 and 2020 on issues pertaining to anti-human trafficking efforts in advance of 2022 FIFA World Cup that had been held in Qatar. She registered as a foreign agent for the Embassy of the State of Qatar and as a partner in the lobbyist firm of Ballard Partners under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.[77][78] She left the Qatari project in 2019 to work in a temporary position for the White House Counsel for President Trump's first impeachment proceedings.[79] Bondi would later return to work as a lobbyist at Ballard Partners until as late as 2024.[80][81]
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the following statement concerning this:[72]
I’m disappointed that Pam Bondi failed to list several clear conflicts of interest, which indicates she does not take these conflicts seriously. The American people deserve an Attorney General who avoids even the appearance of impropriety, and they deserve an Attorney General who will put them ahead of any wealthy special interest or foreign government.