Pam Bondi's Qatar Links Under Scrutiny Over Trump's Luxury Plane Gift [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Published May 12, 2025 at 3:37 AM EDT
Attorney General Pam Bondi's links to Qatar are under scrutiny again following reports that President Donald Trump will be gifted a luxury plane from the Qatari government. Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in 2022.
In this role, she lobbied Congress on behalf of Qatari interests. She also worked in a separate lobbying position for the Washington, D.C.-based firm Ballard Partners, where she also lobbied on behalf of Qatari interests and several conglomerates including Amazon. Her links to Qatar were previously raised by Democratic members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in January, who accused Bondi of failing to disclose her ties to the nation.
They are being brought to public attention again, following reports that the Qatari government is working on providing the president with a plane referred to as a "floating palace" for "temporary use as Air Force One." The Department of Justice has been contacted for comment.
Why It Matters
The plan for Trump to receive a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 from Qatar—the so-called "flying palace"—has unleashed new waves of legal concerns over the legality and ethics of such foreign government gifts. As attorney general, Bondi's prior history as a lobbyist for Qatar has compounded concerns over foreign influence at the highest level of government. Additionally, Bondi is supposed to work as the top legal officer for the United States, not only for the president, and her ties to Qatar raise concerns over whether she will adequately pursue whether the acceptance of this plane is legal.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/pam-bondi-qatar-links-under-scrutiny-over-trump-luxury-plane-gift-2070774
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