Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, who led a two-year investigation into the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, is the new chairman of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

House Republicans elected Gowdy, R-S.C., on Tuesday to replace Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who’s leaving Congress at the end of the month. The vote follows a recommendation by a GOP steering committee last week. Gowdy assumed the chairman’s gavel immediately following the vote.

Gowdy, 52, a former state and federal prosecutor, led the Benghazi inquiry that focused on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and was an outspoken critic of the Obama administration.

As chairman of the 42-member committee, he leads oversight of the Trump administration, including a budding investigation into possible ties between Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign.

(AP)