History of Pam Bondi in Timeline

Pam Bondi is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician. A Republican, she has served as the 87th United States attorney general since 2025. She previously served as the 37th Attorney General of Florida from 2011 to 2019, and was the first woman elected to that position.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

November 17, 1965: Pam Bondi's birth

On November 17, 1965, Pamela Jo Bondi was born.

Others born on this day/year

1987: Received Bachelor of Arts from UF

In 1987, Pam Bondi received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in criminal justice from the University of Florida.

1990: Marriage to Garret Barnes

In 1990, Pam Bondi married Garret Barnes. They divorced after 22 months.

1990: Received Juris Doctor from Stetson University

In 1990, Pam Bondi received a Juris Doctor from the Stetson University College of Law.

June 24, 1991: Admitted to the Florida Bar

On June 24, 1991, Pam Bondi was admitted to the Florida Bar.

1996: Marriage to Scott Fitzgerald

In 1996, Pam Bondi married Scott Fitzgerald.

2002: Divorce from Scott Fitzgerald

In 2002, Pam Bondi divorced Scott Fitzgerald.

2006: Prosecuted Dwight Gooden

In 2006, Pam Bondi prosecuted former Major League Baseball player Dwight Gooden for violating the terms of his probation and for substance abuse.

2007: Prosecuted defendants in Martin Anderson's death

In 2007, Pam Bondi prosecuted the defendants in Martin Anderson's death.

2008: Defended Amendment 2

In 2008, Pam Bondi defended Amendment 2, an amendment to the Florida Constitution banning same-sex marriage, against legal challenges on behalf of the state.

August 2010: Leading in the primary polls

In August 2010, polling conducted by Mason Dixon found Pam Bondi leading both Holly Benson and Jeff Kottkamp in the Republican primary for Florida Attorney General.

2010: Ran for Florida Attorney General

In 2010, Pam Bondi ran for Florida Attorney General, ultimately winning the election to become the state's first female attorney general.

2011: Became Florida Attorney General

In 2011, Pam Bondi became the 37th Attorney General of Florida.

2011: Pressured attorneys to resign in Lender Processing Services investigation

In 2011, Pam Bondi pressured two attorneys to resign who were investigating Lender Processing Services (now Black Knight) as part of their work for Florida's Economic Crime Division, following the robosigning scandal.

2012: Engagement to Greg Henderson

In 2012, Pam Bondi became engaged to Greg Henderson.

2013: Expressed opposition to medical marijuana

In 2013, Pam Bondi expressed her opposition to medical marijuana.

2013: Postponed execution for fundraiser

In 2013, Pam Bondi persuaded Governor Rick Scott to postpone a scheduled execution because it conflicted with a fundraising event. She later apologized for moving the execution date after media scrutiny.

2013: Campaign donation from Donald Trump

In 2013, Pam Bondi received criticism following a $25,000 campaign donation from Donald Trump's foundation after her office considered joining a lawsuit against Trump University. She subsequently declined to join the lawsuit.

November 2014: Re-elected as Florida Attorney General

In November 2014, Pam Bondi was re-elected as Florida Attorney General, receiving 55% of the vote against Democratic challenger George Sheldon.

March 14, 2016: Endorsed Donald Trump

On March 14, 2016, Pam Bondi endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 Florida Republican presidential primary.

June 2016: Renewed criticism over Trump donation

In June 2016, Pam Bondi faced renewed criticism over the donation from the Trump Foundation. Her spokesman said she had solicited the donation directly from Trump several weeks before her office announced it was considering joining the lawsuit against Trump University. Also in June 2016, a spokesperson for Governor Rick Scott stated that the state's ethics commission was looking into the matter.

June 2016: Criticized for LGBT support after Orlando shooting

In June 2016, following the Orlando nightclub shooting, Pam Bondi was criticized by CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, who questioned her expression of support for the LGBT community in light of her past record.

September 2016: IRS determined donation to Bondi's PAC violated laws

In September 2016, the IRS determined that the donation to Pam Bondi's PAC violated laws against political contributions from nonprofit organizations and ordered Trump to pay a fine.

2017: Reported having a member of Trump's transition team

In 2017, Pam Bondi reported on her federal lobbying forms that she had a member of the 2017 Presidential Transition Team of the first Trump administration.

2017: Relationship with John Wakefield

Since 2017, Pam Bondi has been in a relationship with John Wakefield.

August 2018: Co-hosted The Five on Fox News

In August 2018, while still serving as Florida attorney general, Pam Bondi co-hosted "The Five" on Fox News and appeared on Sean Hannity's Fox News show, raising ethics concerns.

2018: Meetings with Lev Parnas

In 2018, Lev Parnas, a businessman with close ties to Rudy Giuliani and Ukraine, had several meetings with Pam Bondi while she was the Florida attorney general.

2018: Joined lawsuit to overturn ACA bans on pre-existing conditions

In 2018, Pam Bondi joined with 19 other Republican-led states in a lawsuit to overturn the ACA's bans on health insurance companies charging people with pre-existing conditions higher premiums or denying them coverage outright.

November 2019: Hired by the White House for impeachment proceedings

In November 2019, Pam Bondi was hired by the first Trump administration to help the White House during Trump's first impeachment proceedings, with her role being described as attacking the process of the impeachment inquiry.

November 2019: Trump ordered to close down foundation

In November 2019, Trump was ordered by a New York state court to close down the foundation and pay $2 million in damages for misusing it, including the illegal donation to Pam Bondi.

2019: Meetings with Lev Parnas after leaving office

In 2019, Lev Parnas, a businessman with close ties to Rudy Giuliani and Ukraine, had several meetings with Pam Bondi after she left office.

2019: End of term as Florida Attorney General

In 2019, Pam Bondi's term as the 37th Attorney General of Florida came to an end.

2019: Joined Ballard Partners, became lobbyist

In 2019, after her final term as Florida attorney general, Pam Bondi was hired by Ballard Partners and began working as a registered foreign agent as a lobbyist for the Embassy of the State of Qatar. She later left to work on Trump's impeachment proceedings.

January 17, 2020: Named to Trump's defense team

On January 17, 2020, Pam Bondi was named as part of Donald Trump's defense team for the Senate impeachment trial.

November 5, 2020: Challenged to provide evidence of fraud

On November 5, 2020, Pam Bondi was challenged by Fox News host Steve Doocy to provide evidence for her claims of voter fraud, which she refused to do. She also claimed Trump had won Pennsylvania despite votes still being counted.

2020: Supported Trump's efforts to overturn election

In 2020, Pam Bondi spoke in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention and became a vocal supporter of Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat, supporting claims of large-scale voter fraud in multiple states.

2020: Defense lawyer during Trump's impeachment trial

In 2020, Pam Bondi was one of President Donald Trump's defense lawyers during his first impeachment trial.

November 21, 2024: Nominated for Attorney General

On November 21, 2024, then-president-elect Trump announced that Pam Bondi would be nominated for Attorney General.

November 21, 2024: Announced as nominee for United States Attorney General

On November 21, 2024, president-elect Trump announced that Pam Bondi would be nominated for United States Attorney General, after the withdrawal of Matt Gaetz for that position.

2024: Led legal arm of America First Policy Institute

By 2024, Pam Bondi led the legal arm of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, working to file voting lawsuits in battleground states related to the 2024 presidential election.

January 15, 2025: Senate committee hearing

On January 15, 2025, Pam Bondi faced a hearing at the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary where she was questioned about her past work as a lobbyist, the 2020 election and TikTok.

February 4, 2025: Confirmed as Attorney General

On February 4, 2025, Pam Bondi was confirmed as Attorney General in a 54–46 Senate vote.

February 5, 2025: Sworn in as Attorney General

On February 5, 2025, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas swore Pam Bondi into office as the 87th Attorney General. On her first day, she took actions like shutting down the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force.

March 2025: Indicated that the US government group chat leak would not be investigated

In March 2025, following the United States government group chat leak, Pam Bondi indicated that the leak would not be investigated stating that the information shared was not classified.

March 2025: Trump administration proceeded with deportations

In March 2025, the Trump administration proceeded with deportations despite a court order to stop, with Pam Bondi and other Justice Department officials arguing that an oral directive is not enforceable as an injunction.

April 2025: Bondi's Fentanyl Seizure Claims

In April 2025, Pam Bondi claimed that fentanyl seizures during Trump's second term had saved millions of lives, initially estimating 21 million and later increasing it to 119 million. During a cabinet meeting that same week in April 2025, she stated DOJ agencies seized 3,400 kilos of fentanyl, saving 258 million lives, a claim met with skepticism.