Sen. Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyGOP set to release controversial Biden report McConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Senate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg MORE (R-Iowa) is blocking President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE's pick to be the intelligence community's top lawyer.

The GOP senator placed a little-noticed hold on Jason Klitenic's nomination to be the general counsel for Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as he tries to pressure the agency to respond to his questions about the intelligence community's whistleblower protections.

Grassley said the blockade will remain in place "until the ODNI and the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (IC IG) provide fulsome responses to questions posed and documents requested concerning the Acting IC IG's efforts to terminate the Executive Director for Intelligence Community Whistleblowing and Source Protection and to hamstring the whistleblower protection program in the intelligence community."

"To be clear, I have no concerns regarding Mr. Klitenic's capabilities or qualifications, and ultimately no intent of withholding my support for him as soon as this matter is resolved," he said in a statement in the Congressional Record

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Grassley announced last week that the would place the hold on Trump's pick, but the decision appears to have flown largely under the radar. CNN first reported on the hold Tuesday evening.

Grassley, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, noted he hasn't gotten a response to that letter.

Grassley said the two senators are asking for a "stay of any personnel action against the Executive Director until Congress has an opportunity to review this action and fully understand exactly how the IC IG is, or is not, appropriately administering the IC whistleblowing program."

The Office of Inspector General told CNN that it "maintains appropriate accountability to the Congress through intelligence oversight committees."

Klitenic isn't the first nominee Grassley has leveraged in an effort to get answers from an administration.

Grassley held up Courtney Elwood's nomination for CIA general counsel last year as he pushed for the agency to respond to his letters.