WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Kerner is the vice president of Cause of Action, a nonpartisan oversight group that exposes waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.
"If confirmed, Henry Kerner of California will serve as Special Counsel, Office of Special Counsel," the White House said in a statement.
He has also served on the staff of the the House Oversight Committee, leading investigations of the federal bureaucracy.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Kerner worked for nearly 20 years as a career prosecutor in California.
The Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency tasked with safeguarding the merit system in federal employment and protecting employees from prohibited personnel practices, including reprisals for whistle-blowing.