Former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz has described President-elect Donald Trump's new pick for attorney general as a "stellar "choice for the role.
On Thursday, hours after Gaetz withdrew from consideration, Trump announced Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, as his pick to lead the Department of Justice.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Gaetz praised Bondi, saying she would bring "needed reforms" to the DOJ as attorney general.
"Pam Bondi is a stellar selection by President Trump for Attorney General. Pam and I worked closely together when she was Florida's Attorney General and I chaired Criminal Justice in the state house," Gaetz wrote. "She's a proven litigator, an inspiring leader and a champion for all Americans. She will bring the needed reforms to DOJ."
The former congressman, who has been accused of misconduct, said his nomination was "unfairly becoming a distraction" to the Trump-Vance transition team amid an ongoing debate on whether Congress should release a House Ethics Committee report about the allegations against him, including that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl while in office. Gaetz has denied the allegations.
Gaetz also reportedly expressed concern that four Republican senators would block his confirmation. Bondi, who is unburdened by such allegations and has several more years of professional legal experience than Gaetz, may have an easier time getting confirmed by the Senate.
Newsweek has contacted a spokesperson for Gaetz and Bondi's office for comment via email.
While announcing Bondi as his pick for attorney general, Trump said: "For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans—Not anymore.
"Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years—She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General."
Trump and other Republicans have accused President Joe Biden's administration of weaponizing the DOJ against the president-elect.
Trump faced multiple federal charges over his alleged criminal attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. With Trump set to return to the White House, the case may be dismissed given the Justice Department's policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.
In another X post, Gaetz said it was "rather poetic" that Trump went from picking a Florida man to a Florida woman as his choice for attorney general.
Bondi spent almost 20 years working as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County, Florida, where she was an assistant state attorney.
She left the position to seek the office of Florida's attorney general, a role she then held from 2011 to 2019, becoming the first woman to serve in the position.
In 2020, Bondi joined Trump's defense team during his first impeachment trial, where he was accused of withholding military aid from Ukraine unless the country's president agreed to investigate alleged political dirt on Biden. The Senate later acquitted Trump of the charges.
Bondi, a staunch supporter of the president-elect, also served on the Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during his first term.
In November 2020, she pushed voter fraud claims in the wake of that year's election. In an interview with Fox News, she said without evidence that there could be "fake ballots" in the key swing state of Pennsylvania that were "coming in late" after Election Day.
Bondi was also one of several Republican figures who attended Trump's hush money trial in New York earlier this year, where he was found guilty of 34 charges.
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