Trump picks Florida’s Pam Bondi for attorney general

President-elect Donald Trump named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the role of U.S. attorney general Thursday evening. His announcement on social media came just hours after his first choice, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew his name from consideration. Like other presidential Cabinet picks, Bondi is still subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Who is Bondi? She is a longtime Trump supporter and served on his transition team when his first term began in 2017. She went on to serve on Trump’s commission on opioid and drug abuse, and also on his legal team during his first impeachment trial. In his statement, Trump said Bondi would redirect the U.S. Department of Justice from attacking Republicans to its intended purpose of fighting crime. He characterized her as smart and tough and said she would do a terrific job as attorney general.

What about Gaetz? He resigned from Congress immediately after Trump named him as his initial choice for attorney general. His resignation also came two days before the House ethics committee was expected to release a report detailing its findings of an investigation of numerous allegations of wrongdoing by Gaetz including sexual misconduct. Several senators in recent days expressed their opposition to Gaetz’s nomination, leading to Gaetz’s decision Thursday to withdraw his name from consideration. In a statement, Gaetz said he did not want to be a distraction to the president’s agenda. Trump on Thursday thanked Gaetz for his efforts.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report on Gaetz’s decision to withdraw.