Donald Trump is going to appoint Pam Bondi, who got an illegal payment from the Trump Foundation, to a White House spot

The Trump Foundation is under investigation in part because of an illegal contribution it made to Pam Bondi

By Matthew Rozsa

Staff Writer

Published January 5, 2017 7:10PM (EST)

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi gestures as he speaks to supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally Saturday, June 11, 2016, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (AP)
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi gestures as he speaks to supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally Saturday, June 11, 2016, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (AP)

It is now being reported that Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a member of Donald Trump's transition team who has a history with the president-elect, is being considered for an appointment in the Trump White House.

When the Trump transition team was asked about the possibility of a Bondi appointment on Thursday, incoming press secretary Sean Spicer refused to divulge any information on the subject.

"We have no additional announcements at this time," Spicer said. "I don't want to get ahead of any announcements that may or may not come."

When asked for comment by the Tampa Bay Times, Bondi said "I'd never discuss anything confidential."

It is unclear what position Bondi could be in contention for, although given that she is a career prosecutor, a position in law enforcement would be the most immediately logical.

Although Bondi is widely considered to be quite close to the Trump team, her appointment would almost certainly raise controversy due to her association with the scandals embroiling the Trump Foundation.

A spokesperson for Bondi's office had told the Orlando Sentinel in September 2013 that it was determining whether they should join the New York Attorney General's case against Trump University; four days after that, a pro-Bondi PAC received a $25,000 check from the Trump Foundation; and in October, Bondi's office decided that "no action was necessary."

Although a Trump representative claimed this was a clerical error — Bondi has also denied any impropriety — the contribution ran afoul of IRS regulations prohibiting charities from making political donations. As a result, Trump was required to reimburse his donation for the $25,000 as well as pay a $2,500 fine to the IRS.

The investigation into the Trump Foundation is still ongoing.


By Matthew Rozsa

Matthew Rozsa is a staff writer at Salon. He received a Master's Degree in History from Rutgers-Newark in 2012 and was awarded a science journalism fellowship from the Metcalf Institute in 2022.

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Donald Trump Pam Bondi Trump Foundation