Former Trump administration aide Kash Patel has been floated as a potential contender to lead the FBI or CIA in President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration, as the ally has long railed against the so-called Deep State and vowed to punish Trump’s enemies—and drawn widespread criticism from even top officials in Trump’s first White House.

Patel’s career began as a public defender in Miami, where he spent nearly nine years handling high-stakes criminal cases, including murder, drug trafficking, and financial crimes.

John Ratcliffe, a close ally of Trump, served as director of national intelligence at the end of his first term.