Former Fumo Aide Faces Congressional Scrutiny

Christian Marrone is now chief of staff at Homeland Security.

The former Vince Fumo aide who reportedly spied on Ed Rendell for the now-disgraced senator is coming under Congressional scrutiny. Christian Marrone now serves as chief of staff at the Department of  Homeland Security; the conservative Washington Times says a Congressional committee hearing today is likely to dig into how he obtained hs role given his previous controversial service.

The questions about Mr. Marrone’s work under Mr. Fumo and his efforts to portray himself in a favorable light for his job could surface as his new boss, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, prepares to testify Wednesday before a House committeeMr. Johnson is expected to face questions about what he knew about Mr. Marrone’s background and whether the corruption case was flagged during the security background check.

A Homeland Security spokesman defended Mr. Marrone and his resume.

“During his time in government, Mr. Marrone has won the confidence of two secretaries — Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson — under two administrations,” spokesman Peter Boogaard said Monday.

Jason Fagone wrote about the relationship between Marrone and Fumo for Philly Mag in August 2008.