The Congressional panel tasked with overseeing at least $2.8 trillion in COVID-19 economic rescue spending has tapped as a top adviser NAFUSA member David Hickton, a University of Pittsburgh policy researcher and former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Hickton, the founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security, is taking a leave of absence from the school to serve as staff director and senior counsel to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

Hickton will advise the Democratically-led panel, chaired by Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., as it examines how federal dollars flow from the Trump administration to families, businesses, health care institutions and the broader economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have watched and admired the principled leadership of Chairman Clyburn for many years,” Hickton said. “When he offered me the opportunity to help do this important work for the American people, I could not say no.”

Hickton arrives just as the subcommittee — a panel under the auspices of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform — begins to ramp up its efforts about three weeks after it was established.

The resolution formally establishing the subcommittee passed on April 23 by a vote of 212-182 along party lines, with Rep. Justin Amash, I-Mich., voting with Republicans in opposition.

That vote occurred the same day lawmakers approved another $310 billion for the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, which provides forgivable loans to small businesses and has been rife with oversight issues. Several large, publicly traded companies were approved for the small business loans, potentially crowding out mom-and-pop shops.

Last week, the panel’s first official action was to call out five large publicly traded firms, for taking small business loan money. The panel announced one of the five companies, Georgia-based biopharmaceutical firm MiMedx Group, has returned the loan. An aide to the subcommittee said Friday it was “continuing to work with the companies to hear their perspective and review materials.”

 Hickton spent six years as a U.S. attorney, co-chairing a national Heroin Task Force to address the opioid epidemic and bringing an high-profile indictment against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army for economic espionage against four Pittsburgh-area companies.

As head of Pitt Cyber, Mr. Hickton has explored subjects like election security and Russian hacking.

Mr. Clyburn, in a statement released by his office, said Hickton’s record as a U.S. attorney “demonstrates some unique abilities to identify and weed out fraud and abuse.” Mr. Hickton will “help protect the extraordinary and unprecedented outlay of taxpayer money as Congress continues to fight this pandemic and its economic consequences.”

Mr. Hickton’s role will be to oversee the professional staff and operations, an aide to Mr. Clyburn said.

Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher praised Mr. Hickton as the “consummate public servant” with an “unyielding commitment to integrity, collaboration and ingenuity.”