Who is Pam Bondi, Trump's nominee for attorney general?

US President-elect Donald Trump has named Pam Bondi arsenic his nominee for lawyer general, hours aft Matt Gaetz, his archetypal choice, withdrew from consideration.

If confirmed by the Senate, the relation means Bondi would beryllium successful complaint of the justness section and its astir $45bn (£35.7bn) budget.

Once the archetypal pistillate lawyer wide of Florida, she would play a cardinal relation successful defending immoderate ineligible challenges to Trump policies and implementing his vow to remake the department.

Some see Bondi, 59, a little arguable prime than Gaetz, who faced scrutiny implicit intersexual misconduct allegations against him.

Gaetz has denied the claims but said helium hoped to debar a "needlessly protracted Washington scuffle" by withdrawing.

Announcing his selection, Trump wrote successful a societal media post: "For excessively long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against maine and different Republicans - Not anymore.

"Pam volition refocus the DOJ to its intended intent of warring Crime, and Making America Safe Again. I person known Pam for galore years - She is astute and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who volition bash a terrific occupation arsenic Attorney General!"

• The emergence and autumn of Matt Gaetz successful 8 chaotic days

Bondi is simply a seat astatine America First Policy Institute, a blimpish deliberation vessel founded by erstwhile Trump unit members, starring its ineligible arm. She has besides served connected Trump's opioid and cause maltreatment commission.

Bondi, a longtime Trump ally, was portion of his ineligible squad during his archetypal impeachment proceedings and erstwhile it made mendacious claims that the 2020 predetermination had been stolen from him owed to elector fraud.

She besides publically supported him by showing up astatine tribunal during his hush wealth proceedings successful New York, which ended successful May with a condemnation of 34 counts of fraud.

Born successful Tampa, Florida, Bondi studied transgression justness astatine the University of Florida successful 1987, earlier going connected to person a nonrecreational grade from Stetson University College of Law 3 years later. She was admitted to the Florida Bar successful 1991.

Before entering politics, Bondi spent much than 18 years arsenic a authoritative astatine the Hillsborough region authorities attorney’s office, trying cases "ranging from home unit to superior murder", according to a illustration connected her lobbying firm's website.

She was elected arsenic Florida's archetypal pistillate lawyer wide successful 2010 - having won the enactment of erstwhile vice-presidential campaigner Sarah Palin - zoning successful connected opioid abuse, synthetic drugs and quality trafficking.

Bondi's narration with Trump goes backmost years. She has supported him since his 2016 predetermination run and told voters astatine a caller rally that she considers him a "friend".

In 2016, Trump and Bondi came nether scrutiny implicit a $25,000 (£19,982) publication helium had made successful 2013 to her re-election run for Florida lawyer general.

The outgo was made astatine a clip erstwhile Bondi's bureau was reportedly considering whether to unfastened a fraud probe into Trump University.

The fraud probe ne'er happened, though Bondi denied the determination was influenced by the donation she received.

Bondi has criticised the transgression cases against Trump and spoken retired against Jack Smith, the justness section peculiar counsel, and different prosecutors who charged the president-elect successful 2 national cases.

She described them arsenic “horrible” radical who she said were trying to marque names for themselves by “going aft Donald Trump and weaponising our ineligible system", AP reports.

In May, she told Fox News a "tremendous magnitude of trust" was mislaid successful the justness strategy aft Trump was convicted connected 34 counts of falsifying concern records successful his historic transgression trial.

"It's a bittersweet time for our justness system," she added.

Several Republican senators person expressed enactment for Bondi's selection. Lindsey Graham, legislator for South Carolina, called Bondi's enactment a “grand slam, touchdown, spread successful one, ace, chapeau trick, slam dunk, Olympic golden medal pick.”

Eric Schmitt, legislator for Missouri, said Bondi was a "great choice".