Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) on Thursday named Phil Kiko, a lobbyist and former Republican aide, as the majority staff director for the House select committee on Benghazi, which he chairs.

Since April 2013 Kiko has been vice chairman of the Smith-Free Group, a lobbying outfit in Washington D.C. Before that he worked in various GOP roles on Capitol Hill including as a legal counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee and as chief of staff to the Republican-led Judiciary Committee under Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI).

“Phil brings with him years of experience serving in various capacities in the House and the Executive Branch, including top positions for three Committees,” Gowdy said in a statement. “He has a proven record of effective leadership and management, and I am pleased to have him on our team as we conduct a serious, fact-driven investigation to ensure our fellow Americans know the full truth about what happened in Benghazi.”