Pam Bondi, the nominee to become the next U.S. attorney general, once postponed an execution so she could attend a campaign fundraiser.
On Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump named Bondi, who served as Florida's attorney general from 2011 to 2019, as his pick for U.S. attorney general after former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration.
In 2013, the Tampa Bay Times reported that Bondi had persuaded then-Governor Rick Scott to postpone an execution scheduled for September 10 so she could attend her "hometown campaign kickoff" in South Tampa.
Newsweek reached out to Bondi for comment through the America First Policy Institute.
Marshall Lee Gore was set to be executed on September 10, 2013, after being convicted of killing a 19-year-old woman. He was also accused of raping, strangling and stabbing a 30-year-old woman in 1988 before leaving her body in a Miami-Dade County trash heap. He had also attempted to murder a third woman prior to kidnapping her 2-year-old son.
Gore's execution was originally scheduled for June 2013, but the date was delayed after questions arose about his sanity. He was then set to be executed on September 10, the date of Bondi's campaign kickoff.
At the time, many accused Bondi of placing her political hopes over her responsibilities as Florida's attorney general. Gore's execution was rescheduled to October 1, and he was executed via lethal injection at Florida State Prison.
Bondi told the Tampa Bay Times in 2013 that she had made a mistake.
"As a prosecutor, there was nothing more important than seeing justice done, especially when it came to the unconscionable act of murder. I personally put two people on death row and, as Attorney General, have already participated in eight executions since I took office, a role I take very seriously," Bondi said. "The planned execution of Marshall Lee Gore had already been stayed twice by the courts, and we absolutely should not have requested that the date of the execution be moved."
Bondi, the first woman to serve as Florida's attorney general, previously spent almost 20 years working as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County, Florida, where she was an assistant state attorney.
Her ties to the Church of Scientology throughout her career have also come into question. During her tenure as Florida's attorney general, she accepted campaign contributions from Scientologists and attended multiple fundraisers organized by prominent members of the church.
In 2020, Bondi joined Trump's defense team during his first impeachment trial, in which he was accused of withholding military aid from Ukraine unless the country's president agreed to investigate alleged political dirt on Joe 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, Bondi 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.
On Thursday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was proud to pick Bondi for his Cabinet, calling her "very tough on violent criminals" during her time as Florida's attorney general.
He added, "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!"
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