Speculation is growing whether President Trump will replace ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Reports suggest he is the front-runner to become the new Attorney General after Bondi’s removal on Thursday.
Time magazine and CNN reported Zeldin, the former New York congressman is understood to be the leading candidate. Trump has not finalized his decision to pick Zeldin as her replacement, the New York Times and CNN reported. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, sources told ABC. But Zeldin’s name is understood to have come up the most often in discussions of candidates for the role, reported Time on Friday.
Zeldin is 46 and has been EPA Administrator since January. During that time, he has overseen what he’s described as “the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.”
He took several actions to reverse what the Biden administration implemented and did it in the name of boosting energy production, including rolling back environmental regulations, and protections for wetlands and endangered species, and pushed to weaken or repeal rules on emissions and pollution. In February, Zeldin announced a repeal of the endangerment finding, the legal basis by which the government regulates greenhouse gas emissions. The agency has also cut jobs, dramatically slashed its budget, and dismantled its scientific research arm, as reported by Time.
Zeldin has been criticized by environmental and public health advocates, including leaders of the Make America Healthy Again movement, for undermining the EPA’s mission, and he faced scrutiny during his confirmation over his consulting work for a Qatari-led firm linked to the felony corruption case against former Sen. Bob Menendez (D, N.J.).
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