Keith Bass, a retired Navy commander who previously led the White House Medical Unit and the CIA's medical service office, must explain his alleged mismanagement in those jobs, according to Massachusetts Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

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Ahead of his confirmation hearing Thursday to become assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, Keith Bass is facing tough questions from a prominent Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Bass, a retired Navy commander and substance abuse counselor who previously led the Central Intelligence Agency’s Office of Medical Services and the White House Medical Unit, was nominated Dec. 22 to manage the Defense Department’s $61 billion health system, which serves 9.5 million beneficiaries, including 1.3 million active-duty troops.

According to an article in SpyTalk cited by Warren, Bass allegedly was fired as head of the CIA medical office following his mishandling of the investigation into Havana syndrome, also known as anomalous health incidents, that affected more than 330 U.S. State Department, intelligence and defense officials as a result of exposure to painful, piercing noise from an unknown source.

The article also pointed to Bass’ alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 response at the agency, “afflicting its rank and file.”