Switching Bondi with Gaetz slightly alleviates concerns at Justice Department
Certain career lawyers acknowledge Pam Bondi's qualifications for the role of attorney general, although they express concerns about her potentially fulfilling Donald Trump's push for retribution.
TroibNews 
Career lawyers within the Justice Department expressed a notable relief when it became known that former Rep. Matt Gaetz would not assume a leadership role over them. However, his withdrawal as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general did little to alleviate the tense atmosphere that has permeated the department since Trump's recent election.
“There are huge amounts of relief among career lawyers and the FBI that Gaetz is no longer in contention,” remarked one former career DOJ official on Friday.
The appointment of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as Trump’s new choice for attorney general was received by many DOJ veterans as a selection that was less unconventional and confrontational compared to Gaetz, who had garnered attention as a controversial figure previously investigated for sexual trafficking allegations, although he faced no charges.
“In terms of Bondi, people haven’t freaked out like they did over Gaetz,” noted a current DOJ lawyer on Friday. “It doesn’t seem surprising to anybody. She’s obviously a loyalist, which makes the choice absurd, but we’ve expected that. … It definitely lacks the shock factor that Gaetz caused.”
While most at the Justice Department were well-acquainted with Gaetz due to the sensational nature of the federal criminal investigation and his role in the ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Bondi is less known among department staff.
DOJ employees who spoke under anonymity to discuss internal matters mentioned that they were not well-versed in Bondi's substantive contributions during her eight years as Florida's top law enforcement officer. Yet, many recognized that her experience seemed to qualify her for the position, especially when contrasted with Gaetz, who had limited legal practice experience before his political career.
“On a superficial level, yeah, she’s qualified,” stated a current DOJ attorney.
Despite this, certain DOJ veterans have voiced concerns that Bondi could function similarly to Gaetz—but without the negative scrutiny she might avoid. They fear she may be used to fulfill Trump's objective of targeting perceived enemies within and outside the department, without the personal misconduct allegations that surrounded Gaetz.
“So is she going to just be a somewhat more palatable, esthetically more enhanced version of Gaetz or something else?” asked a former prosecutor. “We won't know until she's in the job.”
The immediate effect of Gaetz's replacement with Bondi on the department's staff morale was difficult to gauge. The hallways and offices at “Main Justice” appeared unusually quiet on Friday, likely due to a mix of inclement weather in Washington, the impending Thanksgiving holiday, and many employees choosing remote work arrangements, especially as the weekend approached.
Attorney General Merrick Garland had no scheduled public events on Friday, although the presence of security near his office suggested he was working. Earlier in the week, he appeared to prepare DOJ’s career lawyers for future challenges by praising them as “the institutional backbone” and “the heart and soul of the department.”
Lawyers expressing anxiety over the influence of Trump’s return on the Justice Department indicated they were focused not only on the AG selection but also on the president-elect’s other personnel choices. These decisions could signal whether the changes at DOJ might be sweeping and destabilizing or more akin to the typical prioritization adjustments that occur when a new president from a different party takes office.
In the wake of Bondi's appointment, Trump’s selections for key FBI positions and U.S. attorney roles will be scrutinized closely and are now the subject of lobbying by some Trump supporters unhappy with Gaetz's withdrawal.
On Friday morning, Trump appeared to cater to that faction when his close aide Dan Scavino Jr. posted on social media that former Rep. Mike Rogers—who had been campaigning for the FBI director post on Fox News—was not considered for the position. Many in Trump’s base viewed Rogers with skepticism, seeing him as an establishment choice. They are advocating for Trump to instead appoint Kash Patel, a former prosecutor and National Security Council aide.
Prominent advocate for defendants charged in relation to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, writer Julie Kelly, expressed a desire for Trump to appoint a U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who would counter the aggressive tactics that office has employed in the over 1,500 criminal cases related to that day.
“The corrupt rot of the DOJ is not necessarily at main Justice but festers in the DC US Attorney's office, which carried out each political prosecution,” Kelly wrote on X. “The incoming DC US Attorney must investigate what happened in that office and pursue charges against every official including assistant US attorneys responsible for these abusive, selective, and destructive prosecutions. To me, that appointment is as important if not more so than attorney general.”
Additionally, a former career prosecutor suggested that if Trump nominates U.S. attorneys seen as overtly political, it could lead to chaos in that office and others like those in Los Angeles and Miami. Trump has already appointed former SEC Chair Jay Clayton to oversee the federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan, yet he is regarded as a relatively establishment figure.
“That's also going to be a barometer, if he just appoints political people to these jobs who get confirmed,” the ex-official stated. “That's gonna be a real problem for the rank-and-file.”
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
“There are huge amounts of relief among career lawyers and the FBI that Gaetz is no longer in contention,” remarked one former career DOJ official on Friday.
The appointment of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as Trump’s new choice for attorney general was received by many DOJ veterans as a selection that was less unconventional and confrontational compared to Gaetz, who had garnered attention as a controversial figure previously investigated for sexual trafficking allegations, although he faced no charges.
“In terms of Bondi, people haven’t freaked out like they did over Gaetz,” noted a current DOJ lawyer on Friday. “It doesn’t seem surprising to anybody. She’s obviously a loyalist, which makes the choice absurd, but we’ve expected that. … It definitely lacks the shock factor that Gaetz caused.”
While most at the Justice Department were well-acquainted with Gaetz due to the sensational nature of the federal criminal investigation and his role in the ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Bondi is less known among department staff.
DOJ employees who spoke under anonymity to discuss internal matters mentioned that they were not well-versed in Bondi's substantive contributions during her eight years as Florida's top law enforcement officer. Yet, many recognized that her experience seemed to qualify her for the position, especially when contrasted with Gaetz, who had limited legal practice experience before his political career.
“On a superficial level, yeah, she’s qualified,” stated a current DOJ attorney.
Despite this, certain DOJ veterans have voiced concerns that Bondi could function similarly to Gaetz—but without the negative scrutiny she might avoid. They fear she may be used to fulfill Trump's objective of targeting perceived enemies within and outside the department, without the personal misconduct allegations that surrounded Gaetz.
“So is she going to just be a somewhat more palatable, esthetically more enhanced version of Gaetz or something else?” asked a former prosecutor. “We won't know until she's in the job.”
The immediate effect of Gaetz's replacement with Bondi on the department's staff morale was difficult to gauge. The hallways and offices at “Main Justice” appeared unusually quiet on Friday, likely due to a mix of inclement weather in Washington, the impending Thanksgiving holiday, and many employees choosing remote work arrangements, especially as the weekend approached.
Attorney General Merrick Garland had no scheduled public events on Friday, although the presence of security near his office suggested he was working. Earlier in the week, he appeared to prepare DOJ’s career lawyers for future challenges by praising them as “the institutional backbone” and “the heart and soul of the department.”
Lawyers expressing anxiety over the influence of Trump’s return on the Justice Department indicated they were focused not only on the AG selection but also on the president-elect’s other personnel choices. These decisions could signal whether the changes at DOJ might be sweeping and destabilizing or more akin to the typical prioritization adjustments that occur when a new president from a different party takes office.
In the wake of Bondi's appointment, Trump’s selections for key FBI positions and U.S. attorney roles will be scrutinized closely and are now the subject of lobbying by some Trump supporters unhappy with Gaetz's withdrawal.
On Friday morning, Trump appeared to cater to that faction when his close aide Dan Scavino Jr. posted on social media that former Rep. Mike Rogers—who had been campaigning for the FBI director post on Fox News—was not considered for the position. Many in Trump’s base viewed Rogers with skepticism, seeing him as an establishment choice. They are advocating for Trump to instead appoint Kash Patel, a former prosecutor and National Security Council aide.
Prominent advocate for defendants charged in relation to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, writer Julie Kelly, expressed a desire for Trump to appoint a U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who would counter the aggressive tactics that office has employed in the over 1,500 criminal cases related to that day.
“The corrupt rot of the DOJ is not necessarily at main Justice but festers in the DC US Attorney's office, which carried out each political prosecution,” Kelly wrote on X. “The incoming DC US Attorney must investigate what happened in that office and pursue charges against every official including assistant US attorneys responsible for these abusive, selective, and destructive prosecutions. To me, that appointment is as important if not more so than attorney general.”
Additionally, a former career prosecutor suggested that if Trump nominates U.S. attorneys seen as overtly political, it could lead to chaos in that office and others like those in Los Angeles and Miami. Trump has already appointed former SEC Chair Jay Clayton to oversee the federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan, yet he is regarded as a relatively establishment figure.
“That's also going to be a barometer, if he just appoints political people to these jobs who get confirmed,” the ex-official stated. “That's gonna be a real problem for the rank-and-file.”
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
