Stephen Richard Castor

Castor, who earned his law degree from George Washington University, and is originally from Philadelphia, worked in commercial litigation before being hired in 2005 by former Republican House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis. Aside from a keynote address at Wayne State University Law School in 2018, Castor has rarely spoken publicly about Trump and his presidency.

Castor, 46, was hired by then-Oversight Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) in 2005 after spending roughly four years as a commercial litigator at the Philadelphia and Washington offices of the law firm Blank Rome.

One of his first investigations involved the George W. Bush administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina, giving him early experience in investigating a president from his own party. As part of its probe, the GOP-led committee held nine hearings, obtained more than 500,000 pages of documents and released a 569-page final report that was critical of the Bush White House.

Investigations during the Obama administration, such as the probes of the Benghazi attacks and the “Fast and Furious” scandal, were more controversial and politically charged.

Former bosses and colleagues said Castor, described by several as introverted, is an institutionalist who often acted as a bridge between opposing wings of the GOP.

“He’s not a mean guy,” said Davis, who left the House in 2008. “I don’t think he’s a particularly ideological guy. He’s just thorough and effective.”

Issa said Castor avoided political conversations during their decade-long working relationship, despite the explosive fights over policy and strategy between conservative and establishment Republicans on Capitol Hill that took place during that time.

A review of Federal Election Commission records by The Washington Post showed that Castor has never donated to a political campaign.

“I don’t know his politics,” Issa said. “I know he’s a good family man. I know he loves his dog. . . . If he has an ideology or a political bent, we haven’t seen it.”