He was practically a fixture on Capitol Hill during the Wall Street bailout debate and subsequent oversight discussions. But Ken Lewis, CEO of Bank of America, is set to retire at the end of the year.

Lewis and BoA have been in hot water over their government-backed deal to acquire the failing Merrill Lynch in December. At the time of the deal, Merrill was set to pay $5.8 billion in employee bonuses — bonuses that BoA executives didn’t reveal to their shareholders, who approved the buyout.

The saga didn’t escape Democratic leaders on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, whose ongoing investigation of the deal has gained public prominence with several Capitol Hill hearings. Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), who chairs the panel, issued a statement Wednesday warning Lewis’s that the probe will continue despite the changing of the guard.

Our investigation has uncovered troubling facts about Bank of America’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch, and Mr. Lewis was at the center of this controversy. We hope that Bank of America’s new leadership will quickly repay American taxpayers and help us finally resolve unanswered questioned about this merger.