Pam Bondi's nomination criticized for "impeding political neutrality"...Possible rejection of Trump's gag case

Anchor]
Just after Matt Gates's resignation as attorney general, Trump nominated former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, but critics say it is still an appointment that has undermined political neutrality.

With the arrow of controversy heading toward the nominee for defense secretary Hegseth, the trial of Trump's sex scandal gag payment case has been officially postponed, and there is a possibility of dismissing it.

This is Washington correspondent Hong Sang-hee.

[Reporter]
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, nominated by U.S. President-elect Trump as the new attorney general, is also considered a Trump loyalist.

In 2019, he served as a lawyer for President Trump's first impeachment trial, and even during the 2020 presidential election, he defended his claims of voting fraud and claimed to be Trump's guardian.

[Pam Bondi / U.S. Attorney General nominee (last two): I've been a prosecutor for 18 years. Worked for Trump and he's my friend. President Trump is fighting for us. We'll fight for him, too.]

This is why critics say that after Gates, the Justice Department's political neutrality and independence are ignored again.

[James Sample / Hofstra University School of Law Professor: Donald Trump wants to break the norm that the attorney general is basically responsible for the country. He wants the Minister of Justice to take primary responsibility for himself and the administration. It's completely against the norm.]

If certified by the Senate, Bondi will likely take the lead in advocating for Trump's immigration policies.

The arrow of controversy has turned to Pete Hegseth since Gates' resignation.

He paid to cover up the incident after sexually assaulting a woman at a Republican event seven years ago, and a police investigation report was released at the time, raising the possibility of becoming a second fallee.

Allegations of sexual abuse of babysitters by Health and Human Services nominee Robert Kennedy Jr. and acquiescence of ringboy sexual abuse by Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon are also still ongoing.

In the midst of this, the trial of Trump's "Sex-Chum Mouth Payment" case, which was scheduled for the 26th, has been officially postponed.

Judge Juan Merchant of Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, along with the delay of the sentence, told his lawyers to submit a written request to dismiss the case, leaving open the possibility of a decision to dismiss the case.

I'm Hong Sang-hee from Washington.