Donald Trump posted a bizarre tribute following the death of Ken Starr, the independent counsel who investigated former President Bill Clinton.
“I just learned that the great and brilliant Ken Starr has, sadly, passed away,” Mr Trump said on his platform Truth Social. “He was a true American Patriot who loved our Country and the Law. I so appreciated his support and his thoughts that our cause against fascists and other mentally sick people in our Country is just. He will be greatly missed. Melania and I send our warmest condolences to his wonderful family.”
Mr Starr, whose investigation of Mr Clinton prompted his impeachment in the late 1990s, died on Tuesday at the age of 76.
He joined the legal team of Mr Trump in 2020 to represent him during his first impeachment trial in the Senate.
Mr Starr became the youngest person ever on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia when he was appointed at the age of 37. Between 1989 and 1993, he was the solicitor general in the George HW Bush administration.
His investigation of Mr Clinton went on for five years. He probed fraudulent real estate deals connected to an associate of the Clintons, documents removal from the office of deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster following his suicide, as well as Mr Clinton’s relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Following the investigation, Mr Starr became the law school dean at Pepperdine University and later served as president at Baylor University.
He was born in Vernon, Texas, and grew up in San Antonio, getting a BA from George Washington University in 1968, an MA from Brown University in 1969 and a law degree from Duke University Law School in 1973.
He clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger between 1975 and 1977.
At the Los Angeles law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Mr Starr worked alongside William French Smith, who was appointed attorney general in President Ronald Reagan’s administration. After becoming a counsellor to Mr Smith, Mr Reagan appointed Mr Starr to the court of federal appeals.
“As I’m sure many can understand, my thoughts about Ken Starr bring up complicated feelings … but of more importance, is that I imagine it’s a painful loss for those who love him,” Ms Lewinsky tweeted on Tuesday afternoon.
Former Hillary Clinton advisor Philippe Reines said he “would love to see the first draft” of the tweet.
“This actually was – essentially – the first draft (i futzed w/ order a wee bit)… but therapy next week will be… interesting,” Ms Lewinsky responded.
Others noted his work for the late convicted sex criminal and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
He was hailed by conservatives, such as former Trump Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who tweeted: “Ken Starr has passed and America has lost a remarkable, brilliant, gracious man. He was intensely kind to me, always offering great wisdom. He was a lover of life, our country and its institutions. Susan and I pray for his family during this time of sadness. He is now with his Lord.”
