Reports: Gowdy in running for U.S. attorney general

Twenty years ago, U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy was a federal prosecutor sharing a desk in a windowless basement office. Today, he could be under consideration for the position of U.S. attorney general.

Gowdy, who currently represents most of Greenville and Spartanburg counties in the U.S. House of Representatives, is on President-elect Donald Trump's short list for the country's top prosecutor, according to multiple reports.

Others thought to be under consideration include Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster, a former S.C. attorney general, has said he is also being considered for the position.

Gowdy is currently focused on his work in the House, said press secretary Amanda Gonzalez. The Republican caucus, of which Gowdy is a member, will soon begin doling out committee chairmanships and assignments for the coming legislative session. The Spartanburg Republican was just re-elected to his fourth term in Congress.

Gowdy shot to national notoriety in recent years for his questioning of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about terrorist attacks on an American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, where his experience as a prosecutor shone through. Gowdy was a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina for six years, followed by 10 years as the 7th Circuit Solicitor in Spartanburg County.

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 8:20 PM with the headline "Reports: Gowdy in running for U.S. attorney general."