Patel, 44, was not in Trump’s orbit when the Repubican was first elected to the White House. He had toiled as a public defender and Justice Department counterterrorism prosecutor before catching on with the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee during the FBI’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.

Patel is a controversial nominee, having long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.