NEWS

King: Bondi waiting to hear on White House post

LEDYARD KING
USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA

WASHINGTON - With less than two weeks to go before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s potential role in his administration remains in a holding pattern.

Some expected Bondi, a confidante of Trump’s, to have already been named to a White House gig.

But there’s been concern that if Bondi were to be named to a post requiring Senate confirmation, the public hearing would be dominated by Democrats criticizing her office’s decision in 2013 not to pursue an investigation into alleged fraud by Trump University following a $25,000 donation by the President-elect’s foundation to her political campaign.

Bondi has denied any conflict. She has said she was not aware that her office was weighing a probe when the donation was made to the campaign and said she tried to return it afterward. She also said the decision not to pursue action was made by lower-level staffers in her office, not her.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks to the media at Trump Tower in New York after meetings with US President-elect Donald Trump on December 2, 2016.

Still, the expectation is that she’ll get something in the West Wing, perhaps as a special counsel in charge of issues she’s passionate about such as efforts to stop prescription drug abuse.

That speculation ginned up Thursday when Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs tweeted that it was all but a done deal:

“NEW: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi will be named to a post in the Trump White House, sources tell me. Trump aides finalizing her role.”

Asked Thursday about an impending Bondi appointment, Trump Transition Team spokesman Sean Spicer declined to discuss the matter. But he did describe her as someone who has “a very valued opinion in the president-elect's world right now.”

Marco Rubio

Rubio to play key role in Tillerson hearing

Many eyes will be on Marco Rubio Wednesday when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee kicks off its confirmation hearing on Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of state.

The Florida Republican has expressed skepticism about Tillerson’s nomination, saying he has “serious concerns” about the former ExxonMobil CEO’s close ties to Russia and friendship with President Vladimir Putin. Rubio has referred to Putin as “a gangster and a thug.”

With Republicans holding a one-seat advantage on the 21-member committee, Rubio could singlehandedly decide the nomination of the former ExxonMobil CEO.

None of the 10 Democrats on the committee are expected to support Tillerson, given the conclusion of U.S. intelligence officials that Russia attempted to use cyberattacks to influence the presidential election. That means he needs the votes of all 11 Republicans – including Rubio – to win the panel’s endorsement.

Even if the committee does not endorse Tillerson, his nomination still could be forwarded to the Senate floor for a confirmation vote. But given how rarely the full Senate approves someone who does not win committee backing, the lack of the Foreign Relations Committee’s blessing would be a blow that could scuttle the appointment.

Miller fading as VA pick

Jeff Miller used to be considered a favorite to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs under Donald Trump but his name hardly gets mentioned any more.

And unlike others rumored for the cabinet post, the former Republican congressman from the Pensacola area who chaired the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, hasn’t even been summoned to Trump Tower for a meeting with the president-elect.

“Nothing new to report” Miller emailed Thursday when asked for an update.

A source close to Trump said one factor hurting Miller is that he never served in the military. It’s not a prerequisite but every full-time VA secretary up to now has been a veteran.

Miller remains in some state of play as long as the job remains open, however. Others who have met with Trump about the position, including former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and Pete Hegseth, the former CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, haven’t been named either.

Bill Nelson

Nelson wants stiff cyber deterrence

It’s too late to stop Russia’s interference in the U.S. elections but Sen. Bill Nelson wants to head off any future cyberattacks by beefing up deterrence efforts.

“We want to deter the bad guys from coming into our private world, whether it be personal or our government private world, then we’ve got to really make it painful for them, and they know it’s going to be so painful that they will not attack us in the first place,” the Florida Democrat told reporters Thursday after a Senate Armed Services hearing with top intelligence officials.

Nelson said a cyber response is but one of many tools that ought to be considered – as long as the perpetrators know the punishment is worse than the crime.

“You better let the bad guy know that he’s going to get hurt and he’s going to get hurt very badly,” he said.

Nelson has asked to serve on a special committee being set up by Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, Az., that would specifically monitor issues associated with cyber warfare.

Rubio becomes appropriator

Florida’s congressional delegation got a little more powerful last week.

Republican Marco Rubio’s appointment to the Senate Appropriations Committee means the Sunshine State will have a senator in position to help steer money for state priorities, such as Everglades restoration, beach replenishment and the space program.

Most bills authorize money for certain purposes but they often need the money to be allocated by appropriators as well. No details have emerged yet on which Appropriations subcommittee he will join.

Rubio had to give up his seat on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to get his new committee slot. He will remain on the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He’ll also join the Special Committee on Aging.

Florida Democrat Bill Nelson will remain on the Armed Services, Commerce, Finance, and Aging panels.

Contact Ledyard King at lking@gannett.com; Twitter: @ledgeking