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Pam Bondi

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Pamela Jo Bondi (born November 17, 1965) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician. A Republican, she served as the 37th Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019, the first woman elected to the office.

Pam Bondi
37th Florida Attorney General
In office
January 4, 2011 – January 8, 2019
GovernorRick Scott
Preceded byBill McCollum
Succeeded byAshley Moody
Personal details
Born
Pamela Jo Bondi

(1965-11-17) November 17, 1965 (age 58)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (2000–present)
Democratic (before 2000)[citation needed]
Spouses
Garret Barnes
​
​
(m. 1990; div. 1992)​
Scott Fitzgerald
​
​
(m. 1996; div. 2002)​
EducationUniversity of Florida (BA)
Stetson University (JD)

In 2020, Bondi was one of longtime ally President Donald Trump's defense lawyers during his first impeachment trial. By 2024 she led the legal arm of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute.

Early life and education

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Bondi's hometown is Temple Terrace, Florida. Her father, Joseph Bondi, was a city council member and then Mayor of Temple Terrace. She is a graduate of C. Leon King High School in Tampa. Bondi graduated from the University of Florida in 1987 with a degree in Criminal Justice and was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority.[1] She earned a JD from Stetson Law School in 1990 and was admitted to the Florida Bar on June 24, 1991.[2]

Early career

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Bondi acted as a prosecutor and spokeswoman in Hillsborough County, Florida, where she was an Assistant State Attorney. Bondi resigned this position to seek the office of Attorney General of Florida. She has made guest appearances on Scarborough Country with Joe Scarborough and various other cable news programming on MSNBC and worked for Fox News as a guest host.[3]

Bondi prosecuted former Major League Baseball player Dwight Gooden in 2006 for violating the terms of his probation and for substance abuse.[4][5] In 2007, Bondi also prosecuted the defendants in Martin Anderson's death.[6]

Attorney General of Florida

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2010 election

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Bondi ran for Florida Attorney General in the 2010 election, facing off against former state representative Holly Benson and lieutenant governor Jeff Kottkamp in the Republican primary. In a competitive field, Bondi notably received the support of former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. The Palm Beach Post credited her surge in support in the primary to her media-savviness, including regular appearances on Fox News and her public association with Sean Hannity.

Polling conducted by Mason Dixon in August 2010 found her leading both Benson and Kottkamp in the primary. She ultimately won the primary with 37.89% of the vote.[7] In the general election, she faced Democratic nominee Dan Gelber, a former prosecutor who spent 10 years in the state legislature.[8] She ultimately comfortably defeated Gelber to become the state's first female Attorney General.[9][10]

Tenure

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Bondi was the lead attorney general in an unsuccessful lawsuit seeking to overturn the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare) in Florida et al v. United States Department of Health and Human Services. In the lawsuit the State of Florida and 26 other states argued that the individual mandate provision of the ACA violates the United States Constitution.[11]

In 2018, 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.[12]

Bondi opposed same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights issues on behalf of the state. Following the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting in June 2016, Bondi was interviewed by CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, who said that Bondi's expression of support for the LGBT community was at odds with her past record.[13][14][15] Cooper said that Bondi was "either mistaken or not telling the truth," while Bondi accused Cooper of fomenting "anger and hate."[13]

In August 2018, while still serving as Florida Attorney General, Bondi co-hosted The Five on Fox News three days in a row while also appearing on Sean Hannity's Fox News show.[16] Fox News claimed that the Florida Commission on Ethics had approved Bondi's appearance on the program; however, spokeswoman for the commission denied that, telling the Tampa Bay Times that no decision was made by the commission and that the commission's general counsel did not make a determination whether or not Bondi's appearance as a host violated the Florida Code of Ethics. The Tampa Bay Times described it as "unprecedented" for a sitting elected official to host a TV show.[16]

Bondi was re-elected in November 2014, receiving 55% of the vote. Her Democratic challenger George Sheldon, the former acting commissioner of the Administration for Children and Families, received 42%.[17]

Fundraising controversies

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In 2013, Bondi persuaded Governor Rick Scott to postpone a scheduled execution because it conflicted with a fundraising event.[18] After questions were raised in the media, Bondi apologized for moving the execution date.[19][20]

Beginning in 2010, Bondi's association with Scientology and the multiple fundraisers that wealthy Scientologists have organized for Bondi's political campaigns have provoked controversy.[21] Bondi has justified those contacts and her speeches before leading Scientologists by arguing that the group wishes to help her crack down on human trafficking.[22][23]

In 2011, Bondi also pressured two attorneys to resign who were investigating Lender Processing Services, a financial services company now known as Black Knight, following the robosigning scandal, as part of their work for Florida's Economic Crime Division. After the resignations, Bondi received campaign contributions from Lender Processing Services, though she denied any quid pro quo.[24]

In 2013, Bondi also received criticism following a campaign donation from Donald Trump.[25] Prior to the donation, Bondi had received at least 22 fraud complaints regarding Trump University. A spokesperson for Bondi announced that her office was considering joining a lawsuit initiated by Eric Schneiderman, the Attorney General of New York, regarding tax fraud potential charges against Trump.[26][27] Four days later, however, a political action committee established by Bondi to support her re-election, And Justice for All, received a $25,000 donation from the Donald J. Trump Foundation, after which Bondi declined to join the lawsuit against Trump University. Both Bondi and Trump defended the propriety of the nonprofit foundation's political donation.[28][29]

In 2016, after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service regarding the 2013 Trump donation, the Trump Foundation stated that the donation had been made in error. It said that the Foundation had intended for the donation to go not to Bondi's PAC, but instead to an unrelated Kansas non-profit called Justice for All.[30][31] However, in June 2016, as Bondi was facing renewed criticism over the Trump donation and her decision not to join the lawsuit, her spokesman said that Bondi had solicited the donation directly from Trump several weeks before her office announced it was considering joining the lawsuit against him.[27][32] On March 14, 2016, Bondi endorsed Trump in the 2016 Florida Republican presidential primary, saying she has been friends with Trump for many years.[33][34] In June 2016, a spokesperson for Governor Rick Scott stated that the state's ethics commission is looking into the matter, though nothing further came from the investigation.[35]

In September 2016, the IRS determined that the donation to Bondi's PAC violated laws against political contributions from nonprofit organizations, and ordered Trump to pay a fine for the contribution. Trump also was required to reimburse the foundation for the sum that had been donated to Bondi.[36] Neither Bondi nor her PAC were fined or criminally charged. 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 Bondi.[37]

In 2021, The Daily Beast reported that it obtained records relating to Trump's illegal donation to Bondi, which show that Trump's organization knew that the money was being given to a PAC in Florida rather than a Kansas non-profit. The records include an email in August 2013 from Bondi's campaign finance director Deborah Ramsey Aleksander to Trump's executive assistant, Rhona Graff, identifying the PAC as an Electioneering Communications Organization and thanking Graff for meeting with her, for the promised $25,000 donation, and "for always being so responsive and wonderful to work with". A spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington called these documents "a smoking gun" that destroys the story that Trump and Bondi had concocted to excuse the donation.[38]

Association with Donald Trump

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In 2016, Bondi gave a speech at the Republican National Convention, during which she led "Lock her up" chants directed at the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.[39] In 2019, after her final term as Florida attorney general, Bondi was hired by Ballard Partners, a firm with close ties to Trump, and she began working as a registered lobbyist for Qatar. In November 2019, she was hired by the first Trump administration to help the White House during Trump's first impeachment proceedings, being given special Government employee status, allowing Bondi to continue working for the Arab lobby.[40][41][42] Her position was described the following month as being to "attack the process" of the impeachment inquiry.[43] On January 17, 2020, Bondi was named as part of Trump's defense team for the Senate impeachment trial.[44]

During the course of the impeachment trial, Bondi made debunked[45] allegations that former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden were involved in corruption in Ukraine, stemming from Hunter Biden's position on board of Burisma Holdings. It was also revealed that Lev Parnas, a businessman with close ties to Rudy Giuliani and Ukraine, had several meetings with Bondi in 2018 while she was the Florida Attorney General, and after she left office in 2019.[46][47] In 2019, Parnas was arrested and accused of illegally funneling foreign money from Ukrainians and Russians to Republican politicians, particularly in Florida, where he lived.[48][49][50][51]

Bondi spoke in support of Trump at the 2020 Republican National Convention.[52][53] While ballots were being counted in the 2020 United States presidential election, Bondi supported Trump's baseless claims that there was large-scale voter fraud in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.[54][55]

In an appearance on Fox News on November 5, 2020, host Steve Doocy challenged Bondi to provide evidence for her claims of fraud, to which she refused.[56] Bondi later claimed that Trump had won Pennsylvania, despite votes there still being counted, with his opponent Joe Biden ultimately winning the state.[55]

During the following lame-duck session, Trump appointed Bondi to the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[57] The Palm Beach Post described the appointment as a reward for her loyalty to Trump.[58]

By 2024 Bondi led the legal arm of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, a dark money nonprofit that planned policies for a potential second Trump presidency. She worked to file voting lawsuits in battleground states relating to the 2024 presidential election.[59]

Personal life

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Bondi married Garret Barnes in 1990; the couple divorced after 22 months of marriage. In 1996, Bondi married Scott Fitzgerald; they divorced in 2002. She was engaged to Greg Henderson in 2012.[60] She is a member of the Junior League.[citation needed]

Electoral history

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2010 Florida Attorney General election, Republican primary[61]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pam Bondi 459,022 37.89% N/A
Republican Jeff Kottkamp 397,781 32.84% N/A
Republican Holly Benson 354,573 29.27% N/A
Majority 61,241 5.05% N/A
Turnout 1,211,376
2010 Florida Attorney General election, General election[62]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pam Bondi 2,882,868 54.77% +2.08%
Democratic Dan Gelber 2,181,377 41.44% −5.87%
Independent Jim Lewis 199,147 3.78% N/A
Majority 701,491 13.33% +7.95%
Turnout 5,263,392
2014 Florida Attorney General election, General election[63]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pam Bondi 3,222,524 55.09% +0.32%
Democratic George Sheldon 2,457,357 42.01% +0.57%
Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer 169,394 2.90% N/A
Majority 765,207 13.08% −0.25%
Turnout 5,849,235

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Legally Bondi | Business Observer". Business Observer. November 5, 2010. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  2. ^ "Lawyer info-Pam Bondi" Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Florida Bar, Find a Lawyer
  3. ^ Kam, Dara. "Early on, Florida attorney general Pam Bondi shows ambition". Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "Dwight Gooden chooses prison over rehab". Red Orbit. April 5, 2006. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  5. ^ "Attorney General Pam Bondi juggles home life, sudden celebrity". Orlando Sentinel. August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  6. ^ "Martin Lee Anderson Death Case Goes to Trial Wednesday". WJHG. October 4, 2007. Archived from the original on September 25, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  7. ^ "August 24, 2010 Primary Election, Republican Primary: Attorney General". Florida Department of State Division of Elections. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  8. ^ "Prosecutor Pam Bondi holds narrow lead over legislator Dan Gelber in AG race". Orlando Sentinel. October 25, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  9. ^ Kennedy, Kelli (November 3, 2010). "Former Prosecutor Bondi Has Comfortable Win Over Gelber". The Ledger. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  10. ^ "November 2, 2010 General Election". Doe.dos.state.fl.us. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  11. ^ Bolstad, Erika (March 28, 2012). "Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi front and center in fight against health care law". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  12. ^ Leary, Alex. "Pre-existing conditions latest flashpoint in Nelson-Scott battle". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Wilstein, Matt (June 15, 2016). "Anderson Cooper: Florida AG Pam Bondi Either 'Mistaken or Not Telling the Truth'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  14. ^ Peters, Jeremy W.; Alvarez, Lizette (June 15, 2016). "After Orlando, a Political Divide on Gay Rights Still Stands". New York Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  15. ^ Ducassi, Daniel; Caputo, Marc (June 14, 2016). "Bondi says she's not being hypocritical toward LGBT community". Politico. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Contorno, Steve. "Is Pam Bondi auditioning for Fox News while still working for Florida taxpayers?". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  17. ^ Staff (November 5, 2014). "2014 Florida election results: Rick Scott wins, medical marijuana falls short". Orlando Business Journal. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  18. ^ Smith, Adam C. (September 9, 2013). "Execution rescheduled to accommodate Pam Bondi fundraiser". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  19. ^ Rosica, James L. (September 25, 2016). "Bondi apologizes for having execution moved". Tampa Tribune. Archived from the original on September 12, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  20. ^ "Attorney General Pam Bondi apologizes for delaying execution: Pam Bondi delayed an execution to go to a campaign fundraiser". Associated Press. September 24, 2013. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  21. ^ Auslen, Michael (September 6, 2016). "Pam Bondi to speak before group with ties to Scientology". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  22. ^ Childs, Joe (June 30, 2014). "Pam Bondi's Clearwater fundraiser organized by Scientologists". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  23. ^ Bleyer, Jim (October 6, 2016). "Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, and the Church of Scientology". Tampa Bay Beat. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  24. ^ "Political notebook: Pam Bondi under fire after LPS-related resignations". Archived from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  25. ^ "Trump contribution to Pam Bondi's re-election draws more scrutiny to her fundraising". Tampa Bay Times. October 17, 2013. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  26. ^ "Trump's $25K to A.G. Bondi merits probe". Orlando Sentinel. April 2, 2016. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  27. ^ a b "Trump contribution to Pam Bondi's re-election draws more scrutiny to her fundraising". Tampa Bay Times. October 17, 2013. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  28. ^ "Trump camp says $25,000 charity contribution to Florida AG was a mistake". Washington Post. March 22, 2016. Archived from the original on June 19, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  29. ^ Bookbinder, Noah (May 17, 2016). "Column: The Trump tax filings we've seen highlight the need to see more". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  30. ^ "CREW files complaint against Trump Foundation". CREW. March 21, 2016. Archived from the original on May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  31. ^ "Florida AG Personally Asked For Donation Before Declining Lawsuit Against Trump University". Brevard Times. June 7, 2016. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  32. ^ Horwitz, Jeff; Fineout, Gary; Biesecker, Michael (June 6, 2016). "Florida AG asked Trump for donation before nixing fraud case". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  33. ^ "Old questions resurface as Attorney General Pam Bondi endorses Trump". Miami Herald. March 14, 2016. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  34. ^ "Trump University model: Sell hard, demand to see a warrant". Associated Press. June 2, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  35. ^ "Gov. Rick Scott: Calls To Investigate Bondi Are Partisan Politics - Local News - 90.7 WMFE". Wmfe.org. June 10, 2016. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  36. ^ Fahrenthold, David A. (September 1, 2016). "Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general". Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  37. ^ Fahrenthold, David A. (December 10, 2019). "Trump pays $2 million in damages ordered by judge over misuse of charity funds, according to NY attorney general". Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  38. ^ "The Real Story Behind the $25,000 Trump Donation to Pam Bondi". The Daily Beast. August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  39. ^ Lavender, Paige (July 20, 2016). "Florida Attorney General To Anti-Clinton RNC Crowd: 'Lock Her Up'". HuffPost. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  40. ^ Benen, Steve (November 7, 2019). "Despite earlier controversy, Pam Bondi joining Team Trump". MSNBC. Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  41. ^ Ianelli, Jerry (November 6, 2019). "Ex-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to Reportedly Join Trump White House". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  42. ^ Friedman, Dan (November 6, 2019). "Donald Trump, Pam Bondi dives into the Swamp". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  43. ^ Rogers, Katie (December 11, 2019). "Movie Nights, Camp David and Cable Messaging: A White House Impeachment Playbook". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  44. ^ "Former Florida AG Pam Bondi named to Trump's impeachment defense team". News 4 JAX. News Service of Florida. January 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  45. ^ Collins, Sean (September 23, 2019). "The facts behind Trump's bogus accusations about Biden and Ukraine". Vox. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  46. ^ "Trump's team dismisses the case for impeachment as weak — and then sloppily attacks Joe Biden". Washington Post. January 27, 2020. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  47. ^ "Picture of Pam Bondi and Lev Parnas emerges after she joins Trump impeachment defense". Tampa Bay Times. January 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  48. ^ "Two business associates of Trump's personal attorney Giuliani have been arrested on campaign finance charges". Washington Post. October 10, 2019. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  49. ^ "Donald Trump and Lev Parnas discussed Rick Scott in secret recording". Tampa Bay Times. January 28, 2020. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  50. ^ "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won't talk about texts with donor indicted for foreign influence of U.S. elections". Orlando Weekly. January 14, 2020. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  51. ^ "Lev Parnas Paid His Way Into Donald Trump's Orbit". Tampa Bay Times. January 19, 2020. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  52. ^ "Trump campaign unveils convention speakers, POTUS to speak every night". Fox News. August 23, 2020. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  53. ^ Wilson, Kirby (August 25, 2020). "Pam Bondi, at RNC: Joe Biden only in politics to enrich his family". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  54. ^ "Pam Bondi Hypes 'Fake Ballots,' 'Evidence of Cheating' in Pennsylvania Vote". Mediaite. November 5, 2020. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  55. ^ a b "Pam Bondi throws herself into Trump effort to stop counting votes". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  56. ^ Hsu, Tiffany; Koblin, John (November 7, 2020). "Fox News Meets Trump's Fraud Claims With Skepticism". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  57. ^ Solender, Andrew. "Pam Bondi, Hope Hicks Among Latest Trump Loyalists Given Prestigious Government Board Positions". Forbes. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  58. ^ Stapleton, Christine. "Trump rewards ex-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi with prestigious board seat". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  59. ^ Bensinger, Ken; Fahrenthold, David A. (October 24, 2024). "The Group at the Center of Trump's Planning for a Second Term Is One You Haven't Heard of". The New York Times.
  60. ^ Mitchell, Tia (May 30, 2012). "Attorney General Pam Bondi's Cayman trip wasn't a wedding; many wonder why". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  61. ^ "August 24, 2010 Primary Election Republican Primary". Florida Department of State. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  62. ^ "November 2, 2010 General Election". Florida Department of State. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  63. ^ "November 4, 2014 General Election". Florida Department of State. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Florida Attorney General
2010, 2014 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Florida
2011–2019 		Succeeded by
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