 In December 1952 , Robert F. Kennedy was appointed assistant counsel for the Committee on Government Operations by the then @-@ chairman of the committee , Senator Joseph McCarthy . Kennedy resigned in July 1953 , but rejoined the committee staff as chief minority counsel in February 1954 . When the Democrats regained the majority in January 1955 , Kennedy became the committee 's chief counsel . Soon thereafter , the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations , under the leadership of Democratic Senator John L. McClellan ( chair of the committee and subcommittee ) , began holding hearings into labor racketeering . 
