Kenneth "Ken" Starr was a prominent American lawyer, judge, and academic who held several high-profile positions in the U.S. government. He served as a United States circuit judge and as the Solicitor General of the United States during the George H. W. Bush administration. Starr is most widely known for his tenure as the independent counsel who investigated the Whitewater controversy and President Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. This investigation culminated in the Starr Report, which ultimately led to the impeachment of President Clinton by the House of Representatives in 1998.