US President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi, a longtime ally and fierce defender of his administration, from her post as the nation’s top law enforcement officer.
Trump praised her in a post on Truth Social and said she would be "transitioning" to an unnamed private sector role.
Bondi's time leading the Justice Department was often overshadowed by its handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files and its investigation into the convicted sex offender.
She is the second Trump administration official in recent weeks to be removed from her post, after Kristi Noem left her position as homeland security chief in March.
Bondi will be replaced by her former deputy, Todd Blanche.
Bondi said she would be "working tirelessly" to transfer her work to Blanche, adding that the job had been the honour of a lifetime.
She added that in her new private sector role, she would "continue fighting for President Trump and this administration".
The announcement comes less than two months after a combative congressional hearing in which Bondi was peppered with questions from lawmakers, at times descending into shouting matches in which she called one Democrat a "washed up loser".
As recently as Thursday morning, Trump was defending Bondi, saying she is a wonderful person and doing a good job. But hours later, he confirmed her departure on Truth Social, saying that her new role would be "announced at a date in the near future".
The news was first reported by Fox News.
Source: BBC
