Ken Starr, Clinton Whitewater Prosecutor, Dies at 76

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Facts

  • On Tuesday, Ken Starr, the prosecutor who led the Whitewater investigation into former Pres. Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton, died at the age of 76. His family stated that he died in Houston, Texas of complications from surgery.1
  • Starr was well known for his role as independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation, which resulted in the president's impeachment. The investigation's findings spurred the House of Representatives to charge Clinton with perjury and obstruction of justice for lying about his affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.2
  • Earlier in his career, Starr clerked for SCOTUS Chief Justice Warren Burger, and was then appointed to a federal judgeship in the Reagan administration. He later served as solicitor general under Pres. George H.W. Bush.3
  • In 2010, he was named the 14th president of Baylor University and became chancellor in 2013. He was fired from the position just three years later while facing allegations of mishandling the sexual assault accusations of at least 17 women.4
  • More recently, Starr served as defense attorney for the first impeachment trial of former Pres. Donald Trump. He said that he was encouraged to take on the role because of the politicization of the process.5
  • Starr is survived by his wife Alice Mendell Starr, three children, and nine grandchildren.3

Sources: 1CNBC, 2Daily Wire, 3NPR Online News, 4Business Insider and 5FOX News.

Narratives

  • Right narrative, as provided by National Review. Ken Starr was a great lawyer who was determined to complete his work while maintaining his dignity and honor. He remained calm and confident through controversy after controversy. He will forever be remembered for his faith, quick wit, and devotion to family.
  • Left narrative, as provided by Rolling Stone. Ken Starr was a staunch conservative who made a name for himself by defending opponents of same-sex marriage, seeking to secure constitutional immunity for Blackwater, a mercenary firm accused of slaughtering unarmed civilians in Fallujah, and defending many other questionable clients, including sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein. Though his death is sad news, he will inevitably be remembered for turning a blind eye to sexual predation and defending the indefensible.