After President Trump’s first pick to be attorney general withdrew from consideration in one of the quickest timeframes in history, Republicans seem pretty happy with his new choice, the former Florida attorney general, Pam Bondi — even if she was once accused of stealing a dog. 

Trump’s previous choice for the position, Congressman Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name for consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct that overshadowed his nomination. Now, Republicans are rallying behind Ms. Bondi, who made history as the first female attorney general of Florida, and praising Trump’s decision to nominate her. Even some critics of the president-elect suggested she is one of his better choices.

Ms. Bondi, however, does have some controversies, even if they are less severe than the allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault made against some of Trump’s other nominees. 

Dog fight

Ms. Bondi was accused of stealing a dog in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and before she entered politics. She adopted a St. Bernard from a humane society at Pinellas County. She then changed the canine’s name to Noah from Master Tank.

However, in January 2006, the dog’s original owners, Steve and Dorreen Couture, tracked their pet down at Ms. Bondi’s home. The Coutures, a couple from Louisiana, and their grandchildren engaged in efforts to have the dog returned.

However, Ms. Bondi declined to do so and insisted Noah was a “walking skeleton” when she adopted him. 

“If I thought I was sending him to a stable environment, where he would be cared for, as hard as it would be, I’d put him in my car and drive him back myself,” she told the St. Petersburg Times. “I made a promise to him that I would protect him.”

The couple attributed the health issues to heartworms, which they said their dog had since he was 10 months old.

Eventually, the Coutures sued to regain their dog, an effort that dragged on for 16 months. Before the case came to trial, Ms. Bondi agreed to settle, and the Coutures got their St. Bernard back. 

The Coutures agreed to share pictures of the St. Bernard with Ms. Bondi, who pledged to pay for food and medication for life. 

However, communication between both parties ended in less than a year. Ms. Couture told the St. Petersburg Times, “She stole my dog.”

After the incident, Ms. Bondi got a new St. Bernard. 

Execution delayed for a fundraiser

In September 2013, Ms. Bondi was gearing up for her re-election bid as attorney general when she was criticized for delaying an execution. 

A convicted murderer, Marshall Lee Gore, was scheduled to be executed for killing 30-year-old Robyn Novick and 19-year-old Susan Roark in 1988.

However, Ms. Bondi asked Governor Rick Scott to delay the execution because she had a “hometown campaign kickoff” at her home. Mr. Scott told reporters he did not know why she asked for the delay in the execution, which had already been rescheduled twice at that point.

Speaking to reporters after the Tampa Bay Times reported that the fundraiser was the reason for the delay, Ms. Bondi said, “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.”

“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,” she added.

Gore was executed three weeks later, bringing closure to the case 25 years after the murders.

Trump donation

A donation Trump made to Ms. Bondi raised eyebrows about whether it was an attempt to avoid an investigation into his Trump University.

In 2013, Trump made a $25,000 donation to Ms. Bondi’s re-election campaign from one of his charities. However, the timing of it raised suspicion as it was made while the attorney general was “reviewing allegations” against Trump University in a class action lawsuit in New York. 

A month after the donation, Ms. Bondi said her office would not launch an investigation into Trump University. And Trump held a fundraiser for her at Mar-a-Lago six months after his donation. 

A spokesman for the attorney general told CNN in 2016, “While there was never an investigation, staff, doing due diligence, reviewed the complaints and the New York litigation and made the proper determination that the New York litigation would provide relief to aggrieved consumers nationwide.”

Additionally, Ms. Bondi’s office told CNN that it “made public every document on this issue, which shows no one in my office ever opened an investigation on Trump University nor was there a basis for doing so. Any news story that suggests otherwise is completely false.”