Who Is Lee Zeldin? Possibly Trump’s Next Attorney General
· Time
Lee Zeldin, currently the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, could become the next head of the Department of Justice, the New York Times and CNN reported, 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’s handling 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. Bondi faces a deposition before the congressional House oversight Committee later this month related to the Epstein investigation and transparency of the files.
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Trump has reportedly also privately expressed dissatisfaction that Bondi has not investigated his critics aggressively enough. At Trump’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 into New York Attorney General Letitia James, California Sen. Adam Schiff, Fed Governor Lisa Cook, and Federal 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 of allegations of sexual misconduct. Bondi told lawmakers at her confirmation hearing that she would not target people based on their politics, citing criminal cases against Trump.
Last month, Trump replaced Kristi Noem with Markwayne Mullin as 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 a statement to the media on 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, the Times and CNN reported. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, sources told ABC. 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.
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 has overseen what he’s described as “the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.” In the name of boosting energy production, Zeldin has rolled back environmental regulations, including 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.
Read More: The End of Climate Regulation As We Know It
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.).
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, defending the President during his first and second impeachments. He also voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election, which former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won.