Kenneth Starr

Kenneth Starr (born July 21, 1946) was appointed to the Office of the Independent Counsel to investigate the Whitewater land transactions by President Clinton and the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Prior to his appointment as Independent Counsel, Starr had been a federal judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and United States Solicitor General. According to many, he was a very likely nomination for the United States Supreme Court. As a judge, Starr was known for his pro-First-Amendment rulings, particularly with regard to freedom of the press.

Starr is now a partner at Kirkland and Ellis, specializing in complex litigation. He is one of the lead attorneys in a class-action lawsuit against the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act. In the case, Starr has argued that the law is an unconstitutional abridgement of free speech.