Pam Bondi's Qatar Links Under Scrutiny Over Trump's Luxury Plane Gift
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 Qatarthe 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

William Seger
(11,644 posts)... any more than she pursued whether Trump "University" was a scam after taking a $25,000 bribe from him.
kiri
(940 posts)"earning $115,000 a month"
'Earning' is not the right word.
magicarpet
(18,305 posts)How about a drunken party in a cesspool of raw sewage.
eppur_se_muova
(39,062 posts)So it's rats that will be doing the drunken partying; plenty of those around.
"Hey guys -- what are we sitting around here for ? Pete's throwing a kegger in the DCSA SCIF #2 !"
70sEraVet
(4,538 posts)But I do have a beef with one phrase:
"Bondi is supposed to work as the top legal officer for the United States, not only for the President"
I don't believe the U.S. Attorney General is supposed to work for the President AT ALL!
BumRushDaShow
(153,170 posts)I interpreted that sentence as saying just that.
Re-phrasing it -
(using a synonym).
Timeflyer
(3,173 posts)samsingh
(18,055 posts)here its just another moment of grift and bribes
sdfernando
(5,727 posts)if this plane is actually delivered and used it would be a huge security risk...yeah, pretty obvious, I know.
But I'm 100% sure this Qatari plane would not have the highly classified security defences installed on the current AF1...and modifying it would likely take years if it could be done at all.
I don' t want to give anyone any ideas....just sayin'.
ultralite001
(1,678 posts)Seems Bondi's already acquired the means to benefit personally from any additional work she accomplishes for them in whatever capacity she serves + hidden those benefits well...
Follow the $$$...
Same goes w/ DOD + the rest of DOJ...
This is a grift that will keep on grifting...
* * * * * * *
And what, exactly, has privately been promised between Krasnov + the Qataris???
"The motorcade of US President Donald Trump is parked next to a 12-year old Qatari-owned Boeing 747-8 that Trump was touring in West Palm Beach, Florida, February 15, 2025. File Image/Reuters"
Here's one "back story"...
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/trump-free-jet-qatar
Here's another (it's a thank you gift, Krasnov)...
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatari-diar-dar-global-introduce-trumps-first-real-estate-development-qatar-2025-04-29/
https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/01/05/2025/qatari-diar-dar-global-ink-deal-to-develop-trump-golf-club-villas