The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has a new chairman, and he's no stranger to controversial investigations.

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-SC, has been tapped to replace current chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who will step down from his House seat on June 30.

Gowdy is most famous for his tenure as chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, investigating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's role following the 2012 attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya.

"I'm grateful to the Steering Committee and Conference as a whole for the opportunity to serve," Gowdy said in a statement. "I look forward to working alongside the other Committee members, as well as any member of Congress, as we discharge the jurisdiction assigned to us."

It was in his role as chairman that Gowdy helped uncover Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct State Department business, setting off a firestorm over whether the Secretary sent classified material over an unsecured network and flouted federal archiving requirements. The issue later played a central role in Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

Chaffetz touted Gowdy’s credentials in a statement released shortly after the announcement.

"Trey Gowdy is the right person for the job," Chaffetz said. "He has a long history of demanding accountability, upholding transparency and relentlessly pursuing the truth. Under his capable leadership, the Committee will continue to work towards ensuring effectiveness and efficiency throughout the federal government."

A former federal prosecutor, Gowdy came into the House in 2010 and has served on the Oversight, Judiciary, Education and the Workforce committees, as well as chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations and other positions.

He was also rumored to be on the Trump administration's shortlist to replace former FBI Director James Comey. Trump chose Christopher Wray this week to lead the bureau.

Rep. Steve Russell, R-Okla., had also been under consideration for the Oversight chairmanship, but the House Republican Steering Committee tapped Gowdy.

Chaffetz assumed the Oversight chairmanship in 2014, presiding over issues like the fallout from the 2015 Office of Personnel Management cyber breach.

Gowdy will assume the chairmanship following Chaffetz’s June 30 departure.

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