The complicated legacy of Ken Starr

Was the former solicitor general a hero who took on 'an indecent president' — or a 'sex-obsessed Inspector Javert'?

Ken Starr.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

Ken Starr, who once served as U.S. solicitor general but made headlines in the 1990s as the independent counsel whose investigations into President Bill Clinton led to his impeachment, died on Tuesday at age 76.

In 1994, Starr became the independent counsel investigating Clinton and the Whitewater real estate deal that dated back to his time as the attorney general and governor of Arkansas. There were no charges filed, but Starr "significantly expanded his mandate," The Washington Post writes, and he began investigating allegations of sexual harassment made by Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee, and the affair between Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.