Who Is Pam Bondi? Trump Loyalist Tapped for AG Dropped Probe into Trump University After His $25K Donation

AMY GOODMAN: Yes, this is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. We’re broadcasting from Baku, Azerbaijan.

But we end today’s show looking at Donald Trump’s new pick to head the Department of Justice, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump made the announcement hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration as attorney general amidst a firestorm over allegations of sex trafficking involving a 17-year-old girl he had sex with.

Pam Bondi served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019. She served on Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial, now works at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute. As a lobbyist, her clients have included Amazon, GM, Uber and the nation of Qatar. The news outlet Lever reports Bondi’s brother, Brad Bondi, has represented Elon musk and Tesla against federal securities fraud charges.

We’re joined from Rochester, New York, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston, co-founder of DCReport, author of three books on Donald Trump, including The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family. In that book, he details how Bondi dropped a probe into Trump University in 2013 after Trump’s family foundation donated $25,000 to her campaign.

David, talk about her nomination and the significance of the Trump University case.

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON: Well, in Pam Bondi, Donald Trump has just the person he really wants: someone who will be a lapdog when it comes to wrongdoing by those people he likes and wants to insulate and protect, and a vicious attack dog for anybody Donald Trump wants to seek revenge against.

And she demonstrated her loyalty to him 11 years ago, when she accepted, through an arm of her campaign, affiliate of her campaign for attorney general of Florida, a $25,000 contribution from Trump University [sic], a nonprofit, a charity. Charities in America are not allowed to give to political campaigns. Her campaign defended that they were going to keep that money. At the same time, there were complaints going from people in Florida that they had been ripped off by Trump University, Donald Trump’s fraudulent education scheme. And she killed that investigation. So, the fact that Pam Bondi is corrupt and perfectly loyal to Trump has been thoroughly established.

AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about what has taken place. I mean, she would be the head of the Department of Justice — what exactly that means? And again, her nomination follows the nomination of a fellow Floridian — right? — Matt Gaetz, who increasing information was coming out on about this investigative report from the House. If you want to comment on that, and then more on who Pam Bondi is, how close she is to Trump, how, I guess you could say, bonded she is to Trump? And what would it mean to be the attorney general?

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON: Well, Matt Gaetz, who practiced law long enough to have a cup of coffee, was a totally unfit candidate. And I believe Donald Trump put him forward as a test of loyalty and obedience by United State senators who are Republicans. He asked them to arrange what’s called a recess appointment, which would have allowed Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general for two years without the advice and consent of the Senate, which is required under the American Constitution. What he was really doing was finding out: Will the U.S. senators bow down to him and ignore their constitutional duties and further his efforts to become our dictator, something you know I have warned about for nine years?

Now, in Bondi, he has someone who represented him on the floor of the House during his first impeachment. And I think to call her fumbling and not very good would be perfectly reasonable, arguably not competent. But that doesn’t matter to Donald. What matters to Donald is total loyalty.

If you want to create a dictatorship in the United States, there are two things Donald has to do to fulfill his statement that he’s going to be dictator, though he claims for one day. You have to control the enforcement of the laws. And there are more than 100,000 people at the Justice Department. The FBI is under the attorney general, for example. And then, secondly, you have to fire those general officers, admirals and generals, who will not do your bidding and ignore their oath of office, and replace them with craven junior officers who will do your bidding, politicizing the American military. Those are the two key levers to creating a Trump dictatorship.

AMY GOODMAN: And finally, can you talk about her other positions and her position as chair of the equivalent of the Heritage Foundation, the America First group, that has taken many positions like hers against same-sex marriage, against the Affordable Care Act, etc., David Cay Johnston?

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON: Well, Pam Bondi has been a lobbyist — she properly registered, unlike some people around Trump — representing Qatar and other foreign interests, as well as some domestic companies, including — I don’t remember the exact names, sorry. But she has clearly identified herself with those people who want to take away freedom from Americans.

The Republican Party used this say that it stood for freedom, for individual freedom. It’s very clear that it now stands for authoritarian control. And the organization that she affiliated herself with is part of that. You will behave the way we want you to do in the Trump administration, or we will find ways to punish you; we will find ways to take away money, to shut down your nonprofit organization on a whim, a mere accusation with no proof. And remember that under the U.S. Supreme Court’s immunity decision, anything Donald Trump does in his official capacity is beyond review by anyone anywhere. They have — the Supreme Court majority has effectively set up a dictatorship for Trump. The question is: Does he have the competence to execute it? No. Does he have people around him who are competent to execute it? Absolutely.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you so much for being with us, David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, co-founder of DCReport, author of three books on Trump, including The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family.

I want to say thank you so much to our local crew here in Baku, Azerbaijan: Dave Pentlow, Julian Jones, David Iacolucci, Tobin Shackleford, Callum Skipworth, Rufana Kamilova.

A very happy birthday to Alexa Nyemchek! Democracy Now! is produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Messiah Rhodes, Nermeen Shaikh, María Taracena, Tami Woronoff, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, John Hamilton, Robby Karran, Hany Massoud, Hana Elias, Sonyi Lopez. Our executive director is Julie Crosby. Special thanks to Becca Staley, Jon Randolph, Paul Powell, Mike Di Filippo, Miguel Nogueira, Hugh Gran, Denis Moynihan, David Prude, Dennis McCormick.

To see all of our coverage from COP29, go to democracynow.org and all the social media platforms. We’re right there. I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks so much for joining us.