Office of Independent Counsel

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The Office of Independent Counsel was a now-defunct U.S. federal office established to investigate and potentially prosecute high-ranking government officials for alleged misconduct, operating outside the normal Department of Justice chain of command.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal office
independent prosecutorial office
abolished yes
abolishedBy expiration of the independent counsel provisions of the Ethics in Government Act
abolishedDate 1999
appointmentMethod appointed by a three-judge Special Division of the D.C. Circuit
branch executive branch of the United States
surface form: executive branch of the United States government
controversy criticized for excessive scope and duration of investigations
criticized for high costs
criticized for potential political misuse
country United States of America
surface form: United States
coveredOfficials President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
cabinet-level officials
certain high-ranking executive branch officials
distinctFrom Office of Special Counsel
surface form: Office of Special Counsel (U.S.)

Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice
surface form: Special Counsel to the President
establishedBy Ethics in Government Act
surface form: Ethics in Government Act of 1978
independenceFeature protection from arbitrary removal by the Attorney General
jurisdiction alleged misconduct by high-ranking U.S. government officials
legalAuthority federal criminal law
legalBasis Ethics in Government Act
surface form: Ethics in Government Act of 1978
notableCase Iran–Contra affair
surface form: Iran-Contra investigation

Whitewater controversy
surface form: Whitewater investigation

investigation of President Bill Clinton
notableIndependentCounsel Archibald Cox
Independent Counsel Ken Starr
surface form: Kenneth Starr

Lawrence Walsh
Leon Jaworski
notInChainOfCommandOf United States Attorney General
operatedBy United States government
surface form: United States federal government
operationalIndependenceFrom United States Department of Justice
oversightMechanism judicial oversight by the Special Division
reporting requirements to Congress
partOf United States government
surface form: federal government of the United States
power bring criminal charges
convene grand juries
issue subpoenas
prosecute federal crimes involving covered officials
purpose investigate high-ranking government officials for alleged misconduct
prosecute high-ranking government officials for alleged misconduct
replacedBy Special Counsel regulations of the U.S. Department of Justice
reportingObligation submit final report at conclusion of investigation
status defunct
successor Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice
surface form: Special Counsel (United States Department of Justice)
supervisedBy United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
surface form: Special Division of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
temporalScope late 20th century
triggerForAppointment preliminary investigation by the Attorney General indicating further investigation is warranted
request by the United States Attorney General

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Brett M. Kavanaugh workedFor Office of Independent Counsel
Brett employer Office of Independent Counsel
subject surface form: Brett M. Kavanaugh
Watergate Special Prosecution Force hasPart Office of Independent Counsel
this entity surface form: Office of the Special Prosecutor
Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1987 relatedTo Office of Independent Counsel