(CNN) The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Brian Benczkowski to lead the Justice Department's criminal division on a near party-line vote over Democratic objections to his nomination due to ties to a prominent Russian bank.

The Senate confirmed Benczkowski 51-48. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was the only Democrat to vote yes.

Benczkowski's nomination was controversial because of his work for Alfa Bank, which has been scrutinized by FBI counterintelligence. Benczkowski, a former lead staffer to Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the Senate and a Trump transition official, has faced criticism from Democrats since he was nominated last year over his past private-practice work on behalf of Alfa Bank, one of Russia's largest financial institutions.

All 10 Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in May called on President Donald Trump to pull his nomination.

In a statement Tuesday night, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, lamented Benczkowski's refusal to recuse himself permanently from matters involving the ongoing Mueller probe, saying his nomination presented "glaring conflicts of interest."

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