Pam Bondi

Biography

Pamela Jo Bondi was born in Tampa, Florida, in 1965 and grew up in nearby Temple Terrace, where her father served as mayor. She earned a degree in criminal justice from the University of Florida in 1987 and a law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1990, and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1991.

From 1994 to 2009 she was an assistant state attorney in Hillsborough County, prosecuting cases and acting as a spokeswoman for the office. In 2010 she won the Republican primary and then the general election for Florida attorney general, becoming the first woman in the post; she was re-elected in 2014. Her tenure included leading the multistate lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act and defending Florida's same-sex marriage ban, and drew scrutiny over a 2013 donation from Donald Trump's foundation to her political committee.

After leaving office in 2019 she worked as a lobbyist at Ballard Partners and joined Trump's legal team for his first impeachment trial in 2020. She later led the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute. Trump chose her as attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdrew, and the Senate confirmed her 54 to 46 in February 2025.

As the 87th U.S. attorney general she reshaped Justice Department priorities, announced the narco-terrorism indictment of Nicolas Maduro after his capture in January 2026, and faced sustained criticism over her handling of the Epstein files. Trump dismissed her on 2 April 2026.