6 things to know about Pam Bondi, Trump's new attorney general

NEW YORK (AP) Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, was chosen by Donald Trump to serve as U.S. attorney general hours after his first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew after a federal sex trafficking investigation and ethics investigation found its ability to be confirmed questionable.

The 59-year-old has long been in Trump's orbit and had her name floated during his first term as a potential candidate for the nation's top law enforcement job. Trump announced his intention to nominate Bondi in a social media post on Thursday.

WATCH: How Trump could upend the rule of law and pursue political prosecutions in a second term

If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump's Cabinet, given Republicans' threat to continue retaliation against perceived adversaries and Democrats' fear that he seeks to bend the Justice Department to his will.

Here are some things to know about Bondi.

She has long been an integral part of Trump's world

Bondi has been a long-standing and early ally. In March 2016, on the eve of the Republican primary in Florida, Bondi endorsed Trump at a rally, preferring him over his own state's candidate, Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

She gained national attention with appearances on Fox News as a Trump defender and had a notable speaking slot at the 2016 Republican National Convention when Trump emerged as the party's surprise nominee. During the remarks, some in the crowd began chanting “Lock her up” about Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Bondi responded by saying: “Lock her up, I love it.” »

WATCH: Senators react to Matt Gaetz's withdrawal from attorney general nomination

As Trump prepared to move into the White House, she served on his first transition team.

When Trump's first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was ousted in 2018, Bondi's name was floated as a possible candidate for the job. Trump said at the time that he would like Bondi to join the administration. He ultimately chose William Barr instead.

She remained in Trump's orbit thereafter, including after he left office. She served as president of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank created by former members of the Trump administration to lay the groundwork if he won a second term.

She was Florida's first female attorney general

Bondi made history in 2010 when she was elected Florida's first female attorney general. Although the Tampa native spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State's Attorneys Office, she was a political unknown when she held the top law enforcement job in the state.

Bondi was elevated in the primary after being endorsed by former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

She campaigned on a message of using the state's highest legal office robustly, challenging the health care law signed by then-President Barack Obama. She also called on her state to pass the Arizona immigration law that sparked a national debate.

WATCH: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at the 2016 Republican National Convention

As Florida's top prosecutor, Bondi highlighted human trafficking issues and urged strengthening state laws against traffickers. She held this position from 2011 to 2019.

She has worked as a lobbyist for American and foreign clients

Bondi worked as a lobbyist for Ballard Partners, the powerful Florida-based firm where Trump campaign chief and new chief of staff Susie Wiles was a partner. Its U.S. clients include General Motors, the commissioner of Major League Baseball and a Christian anti-human trafficking advocacy group.

She also lobbied for a Kuwaiti company, according to Justice Department foreign agent filings and Congressional lobbying documents. She registered as a foreign agent for the government of Qatar; his work was linked to anti-human trafficking efforts leading up to the World Cup, hosted in 2022.

Bondi also represented KGL Investment Company KSCC, a Kuwaiti company also known as KGLI, lobbying the White House, National Security Council, State Department and Congress on policy issues. immigration, human rights and economic sanctions.

She defended Trump during his first impeachment trial

Bondi stepped away from lobbying to serve on Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020.

He was accused but not convicted of abuse of power for allegedly pressuring Ukraine's president to investigate his Democratic rivals while crucial U.S. security aid was being withheld. He was also charged with obstruction of Congress for obstructing investigative efforts.

READ MORE: 5 moments to watch from day two of Trump's impeachment defense

Trump wanted Ukraine's president to publicly commit to investigating Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. He pushed for an investigation while hiding nearly $400 million in military aid.

Bondi was hired to strengthen White House messaging and communications. Trump and his allies have sought from the start to delegitimize the impeachment proceedings, aiming to make the whole thing seem like a farce.

She criticized the criminal prosecution of Trump

Bondi sharply criticized the criminal prosecution of Trump as well as Jack Smith, the special prosecutor who indicted Trump in two federal cases. In a radio appearance, she blasted Smith and other prosecutors who accused Trump of horrible people who she said were trying to make a name for themselves by going after Donald Trump and weaponizing our system judicial.

Bondi is unlikely to be confirmed in time to overlap with Smith, who has filed two federal indictments against Trump that are both expected to conclude before the new president takes office. Special advocates are supposed to produce reports on their work that are historically made public, but it remains unclear when such a document might be released.

Bondi was also part of a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump during his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 counts.

WATCH: Trump's return to the White House upends the criminal investigations and convictions he faced

As president, Trump demanded investigations of political opponents like Hillary Clinton and sought to use the Justice Department's law enforcement powers to advance his own interests, including attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 elections. Bondi seems likely to oblige.

She would inherit a Justice Department that is expected to lean heavily toward civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecution of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot of the United States, defendants that Trump has pledged to pardon.

She had some of her own political problems

Bondi issued a public apology in 2013 while she was attorney general after trying to delay the execution of a convicted killer because it conflicted with fundraising for her re-election campaign.

The attorney general, who represents the state in death row appeals, generally remains available at the execution date of cases in case of last-minute legal issues.

Bondi later said she was wrong and was sorry for asking then-Gov. Rick Scott postpones the execution of Marshall Lee Gore by three weeks.

Bondi personally solicited a political contribution from Trump in 2013 as his office considered whether to join New York in pursuing fraud allegations involving Trump University.

Trump paid a $25,000 check to a political committee supporting Bondi from his family's charitable foundation, in violation of legal prohibitions against charities supporting partisan political activities. After the check arrived, Bondis' office backed away from suing the Trump Company for fraud, citing insufficient grounds to sue. Trump and Bondi have denied any wrongdoing.

Two days before he was sworn in as president in January 2017, Trump paid $25 million to settle three lawsuits alleging that Trump University defrauded its students.

Trump also paid a $2,500 fine to the IRS for the illegal political donation to Bondi from the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which he was forced to disband as part of an investigation by the State of New York.

A Florida prosecutor appointed by then-Republican Gov. Rick Scott later determined there was not enough evidence to support corruption charges against Trump and Bondi over the $25,000 donation.

Long reported in Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker contributed to this report.

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