Gingrich's announcement may have violated federal law, which prohibits a candidate from such pledges prior to nomination

Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich announced Wednesday that, if nominated, he would be asking former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton to be his secretary of state.

John Bolton served a controversial tenure as U.N. Ambassador under George W. Bush, noted for his bad temper, aggressively hawkish foreign policy views, and for the fact that he never won Senate confirmation. He is now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

In a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition, Gingrich said, “If he will accept it, I will ask John Bolton to be secretary of state.” This could be a violation of federal law, which prohibits a candidate from pledging an appointment “for the purpose of procuring support in his candidacy.”

The Gingrich campaign has so far refused to comment on the apparent crime.