Lee Zeldin, currently the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, could become the next head of the Department of Justice, theNew York TimesandCNNreported, should President Donald Trump fire Attorney General Pam Bondi, as he has privately discussed doing, multiple sources familiar with the matter told the news outlets.
Trump has reportedly mused about dismissing Bondi since January after blowback against her department'shandling of the Epstein files, documents related to the investigation into convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Discussions of replacing Bondi reportedly re-emerged this week. Bondifaces a depositionbefore the congressional House oversight Committee later this monthrelated to the Epstein investigationandtransparency of the files.
Trump has reportedly also privately expressed dissatisfaction that Bondi has not investigated his critics aggressively enough. AtTrump's behest, the DOJ under Bondi has pursued criminal investigations into several of Trump's perceived political adversaries, most of whom are Democrats. These include probes intoNew York Attorney General Letitia James,California Sen. Adam Schiff,Fed Governor Lisa Cook, andFederal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The DOJ has so far failed to secure indictments in any of the cases, although some are ongoing.
Bondi was confirmed as Attorney General with a 54-46 vote last February, after Trump's initial pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R, Fla.), withdrew from consideration amid scrutiny ofallegations of sexual misconduct. Bonditold lawmakersat her confirmation hearing that she would not target people based on their politics, citingcriminal cases against Trump.
Last month, Trumpreplaced Kristi NoemwithMarkwayne Mullinas Homeland Secretary, making Noem the first Cabinet member to be removed during Trump's second term.
Still, sources told the outlets that it is not yet certain Trump will fire Bondi. The President has publicly expressed confidence in Bondi on multiple occasions, and he said in astatement to the mediaon Wednesday in response to reports of her possible ouster that "Attorney General Pam Bondi is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job."
If Bondi is removed, Trump has not finalized his decision to pick Zeldin as her replacement, theTimesand CNN reported. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, sources toldABC. But Zeldin's name has come up the most often in discussions of candidates for the role, CNN reported.
TIME has reached out to the White House for comment.
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Here's what to know about Zeldin.
Trump loyalist
Zeldin has served as the administrator of the EPA since last January. In this role, the 46-year-old hasoverseenwhat he'sdescribedas "the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States." In the name of boosting energy production, Zeldin hasrolled back environmental regulations, includingprotections for wetlands and endangered species, andpushed to weaken or repealrules on emissions and pollution. In February, Zeldinannounceda repeal of theendangerment finding, the legal basis by which the government regulates greenhouse gas emissions. The agency has also cut jobs, dramatically slashed its budget, anddismantled its scientific research arm.
Read More:The End of Climate Regulation As We Know It
Zeldin hasbeen criticizedby environmental and public health advocates, includingleaders of the Make America Healthy Again movement, for undermining the EPA's mission, and hefaced scrutinyduring 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.).
TIME has reached out to the EPA for comment.
From New York, Zeldin has a background in law, becoming in 2004 the youngest attorney at the time in the state at age 23. He ran a crisis management and public relations firm from 2023 to early 2025.
Also an army veteran, Zeldin served 22 years in the military, including military intelligence and a deployment to Iraq in 2006. He also held a state senate seat in New York from 2011 to 2014 and a U.S. congressional seat representing the state's 1st District from 2015 to 2023. He unsuccessfully ran for New York governor in 2022,losing to Democrat Kathy Hochul.
Zeldin has built a reputation as a staunch ally of Trump,defendingthe President during hisfirstandsecondimpeachments. He alsovoted againstcertifying the results of the 2020 election, which former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won.
