Pam Bondi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pam Bondi
Official portrait, 2011
87th United States Attorney General
Incumbent
Assumed office February 5, 2025
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Todd Blanche (nominee)
Preceded by	Merrick Garland
37th Florida Attorney General
In office January 4, 2011 – January 8, 2019
Governor	Rick Scott
Preceded by	Bill McCollum
Succeeded by	Ashley Moody
Personal details
Born	Pamela Jo Bondi (1965-11-17) November 17, 1965 (age 59) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican (2000–present)
Other political affiliations	Democratic (until 2000)
Spouses	Garret Barnes ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1992)​ Scott Fitzgerald ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2002)​
Domestic partners	John Wakefield (2017⁠–⁠present)
Education	University of Florida (BA) Stetson University (JD)

Pamela Jo Bondi is an important American lawyer and politician. She was born on November 17, 1965. She is now the top lawyer for the United States government, called the Attorney General, starting in 2025.

Before this big job, she was the Attorney General for the state of Florida from 2011 to 2019. She was the first woman to hold that job in Florida! She is a member of the Republican Party.

In 2020, Pam Bondi was part of the legal team for President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial. She also supported his efforts after the 2020 election. In 2024, she was chosen by President-elect Trump to be the next Attorney General. She was approved by the Senate on February 4, 2025, and started her new role the next day.

Pam Bondi's Early Life and Education

Pamela Jo Bondi was born in Temple Terrace, Florida, on November 17, 1965. Her father, Joseph Bondi, was the mayor of Temple Terrace. She went to C. Leon King High School in Tampa, Florida.

Pam Bondi studied at the University of Florida, where she earned a degree in criminal justice in 1987. She then went to Stetson University College of Law and became a lawyer in 1990. She officially joined the Florida Bar, which means she could practice law in Florida, in 1991.

Pam Bondi's First Jobs as a Lawyer

Before becoming a well-known politician, Pam Bondi worked as a prosecutor in Hillsborough County, Florida. A prosecutor is a lawyer who works for the government and tries to prove that someone accused of a crime is guilty. She also served as a spokesperson for the state attorney's office.

Pam Bondi as Florida's Attorney General (2011–2019)

Becoming Florida's Attorney General

Pam Bondi decided to run for Florida Attorney General in 2010. She competed against other candidates in the Republican primary election. She gained support from important people like former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She also appeared often on TV, which helped her become more well-known.

She won the Republican primary election. In the main election, she ran against Dan Gelber, a Democrat. Pam Bondi won this election, becoming the first woman to be Florida's Attorney General.

She was re-elected for a second term in 2014, winning with 55% of the votes.

What Pam Bondi Did as Attorney General

Pam Bondi with Florida Governor Rick Scott in 2011.

As Florida's Attorney General, Pam Bondi was involved in several important legal cases.

She led a lawsuit with 26 other states to try and stop a healthcare law called the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). They argued that a part of the law, which required people to have health insurance, was against the United States Constitution.

Later, in 2018, she joined 19 other states in another lawsuit about the Affordable Care Act. This lawsuit aimed to change rules that stopped health insurance companies from charging people with existing health problems more money or refusing to cover them.

Pam Bondi also defended a 2008 change to Florida's Constitution that banned same-sex marriage. She did this on behalf of the state when the ban was challenged in court.

Pam Bondi's Work After Florida Government

Working as a Lobbyist

Pam Bondi in 2018.

After her time as Florida's Attorney General ended in 2019, Pam Bondi started working for a company called Ballard Partners. This company has strong connections to former President Trump. She worked as a lobbyist for the Embassy of the State of Qatar. A lobbyist tries to influence government decisions on behalf of a group or country.

She stopped working for Qatar for a short time in 2019 to help the White House during President Trump's first impeachment process. She continued to work as a lobbyist until 2024.

Helping with Trump's Impeachment

In November 2019, Pam Bondi was hired by the Trump administration. Her job was to help the White House during the impeachment process against President Trump. She was part of Trump's defense team for the Senate impeachment trial in January 2020.

Supporting Trump in the 2020 Election

Pam Bondi with U.S. Representative Mike Johnson and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt in 2022.

Pam Bondi spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention to support Donald Trump. She strongly supported Trump's efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 United States presidential election. She made claims about voter fraud in states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Other Political Work

After the 2020 election, President Trump appointed Pam Bondi to the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This was seen as a way to thank her for her loyalty.

By 2024, Pam Bondi was leading the legal part of the America First Policy Institute. This group helps plan policies for a possible future Trump presidency. She worked on lawsuits related to voting in different states for the 2024 presidential election.

Pam Bondi as United States Attorney General (2025–present)

Becoming the U.S. Attorney General

On November 21, 2024, President-elect Trump announced that he would nominate Pam Bondi to be the United States Attorney General. This is a very important job, as the Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer and chief lawyer of the U.S. government.

On January 29, 2025, a Senate committee approved her nomination. Then, on February 4, 2025, the full Senate voted to confirm her. She was sworn into office the next day by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Pam Bondi's Personal Life

Pam Bondi has Italian family roots. She has been married twice. She married Garret Barnes in 1990, and they divorced after about two years. In 1996, she married Scott Fitzgerald, and they divorced in 2002. Since 2017, she has been in a relationship with John Wakefield.

Electoral History

See Also

• List of female state attorneys general in the United States