Educap, a so-called nonprofit student-loan company, and its chairman, Catherine Reynolds, played a role in the storm that took down Tom Daschle’s nomination for HHS head this week. Now, she turns up in the Panetta confirmation questions.

Panetta’s largest director’s fee last year, $170,000 in cash and stock options, came from Zenith National Insurance, which promotes safety on the job but specializes in protecting businesses from the financial consequences of workplace injuries. Other board members include Catherine B. Reynolds, head of EduCap, a controversial student loan company that is under investigation by the IRS.