Clinton prosecutor Ken Starr to defend Trump in impeachment

Clinton prosecutor Ken Starr to defend Trump in impeachment

US President Donald Trump's defence team in his Senate trial will include special prosecutors from President Bill Clinton's impeachment.

He will be represented by Ken Starr and Robert Ray, who investigated Mr Clinton, and Alan Dershowitz, whose past clients include OJ Simpson.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Mr Trump's personal lawyer Jay Sekulow will lead the team.

Opening statements in the Trump impeachment trial will begin next week.
Who are the Clinton prosecutors?

Mr Starr was the US Department of Justice independent counsel who investigated the Whitewater affair, a scandal-plagued mid-1980s land venture in Arkansas involving Bill and Hillary Clinton.

The inquiry ultimately uncovered unrelated evidence that Mr Clinton had been having an affair with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.

The investigation culminated in the Democratic president's impeachment by the US House of Representatives in 1998. Mr Clinton was acquitted by the Senate.

Mr Ray succeeded Mr Starr as the independent counsel.

Ms Lewinsky tweeted on Friday shortly after Mr Trump's team was announced: "This is definitely an 'are you kidding me?' kinda day", though she inserted an expletive.

In 2016, Mr Starr was forced out of his position as president of Baylor University after an inquiry found the school had mishandled rape accusations against its football players.

He later also resigned from his roles as chancellor and law professor at the university.-BBC