President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.Bondi is a longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused 맥스카지노� but not convicted 맥스카지노� of abusing his power as he tried to condition U.S. military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former Vice President Joe Biden.Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. She's been a chair at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers.맥스카지노�For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans - Not anymore,맥스카지노� Trump said in a social media post. 맥스카지노�Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.맥스카지노�Trump맥스카지노�s son Donald Trump Jr. told Fox Business on Sunday that the transition team had backups in mind for his controversial nominees should they fail to get confirmed. The swift selection of Bondi came about six hours after Gaetz withdrew.Gaetz stepped aside amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer.That announcement capped a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies.맥스카지노�While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,맥스카지노� Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement.맥스카지노�There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I맥스카지노�ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump맥스카지노�s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Hours later, Gaetz posted on social media that he looks 맥스카지노�forward to continuing the fight to save our country,맥스카지노� adding, 맥스카지노�Just maybe from a different post.맥스카지노�Trump, in a social media post, said: 맥스카지노�I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!맥스카지노�Last week, Trump named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible attorney general contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO.Bondi, too, is a longtime loyalist. She has been a vocal critic of the criminal cases against Trump as well as Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump in two federal cases. In one radio appearance, she blasted Smith and other prosecutors who have charged Trump as 맥스카지노�horrible맥스카지노� people she said were trying to make names for themselves by 맥스카지노�going after Donald Trump and weaponizing our legal system.맥스카지노�If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump맥스카지노�s Cabinet given the Republican맥스카지노�s threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and concern among Democrats that he will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. A recent Supreme Court opinion not only conferred broad immunity on former presidents but also affirmed a president맥스카지노�s exclusive authority over the Justice Department맥스카지노�s investigative functions.Bondi would inherit a Justice Department expected to pivot sharply on civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecutions of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol 맥스카지노� defendants whom Trump has pledged to pardon.It맥스카지노�s unlikely that Bondi would be confirmed in time to overlap with Smith, who brought two federal indictments against Trump that are both expected to wind down before the incoming president takes office. Special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, but it remains unclear when such a document might be released.In 2013, while serving as Florida attorney general, Bondi publicly apologized for asking that the execution of a man convicted of murder be delayed because it conflicted with a campaign fundraiser.Bondi said she was wrong and sorry for requesting then-Gov. Rick Scott push back the execution of Marshall Lee Gore by three weeks.Before she ran for state attorney general in 2010, Bondi worked for the Hillsborough County state attorney._____Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.