Brian Miller, a Trump White House lawyer since 2018 and former in-house watchdog at the General Services Administration, will encounter myriad questions about his independence and career in the law when he faces the U.S. Senate for his confirmation as special inspector general for pandemic recovery.

The White House announced Miller's nomination Friday night, and it was not immediately clear when the Senate might hold a confirmation hearing. The special inspector general, with a budget of $25 million, was created as part of the stimulus package Congress passed in response to the coronavirus outbreak, a global health emergency that has claimed thousands of lives and upended everyday life.

Miller brings a long career in Washington legal circles, having served as a federal prosecutor, inspector general and private practitioner at the Washington litigation boutique Rogers Joseph O'Donnell. But his latest role, as a Trump White House lawyer, has already invited questions about his independence and ability to aggressively oversee the use of pandemic relief funds.