D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A friend, and he knew this. When the lawsuit hit the papers in April of 2008, other stories emerged of clients’ disenchantment with Starr. One story reported to me had to do with another client, an especially wealthy individual. It was said that private meetings were taken at major banks on this individual’s behalf to request making a loan. The amount of the request mentioned was $100 million. It was said at the time that the individual’s assets (collateral) were worth well over a half billion. Whether or not the funds were finally procured is unknown to me, although more than one major bank was presented with the
deal. At least one declined. Joan Stanton died last year, before the case went to court. In the meantime, her heirs are said to have made an unspecified settlement with Starr, which presumably let him off that hook. (Ironically, it would seem judging from Mellon’s quote in the Times, the Joan Stanton matter did not discourage her from continuing with Starr.) The media have named a number of high-profile individuals who are or have been clients of Ken Starr, including Caroline Kennedy, who remained close to Mellon after Jackie’s death, Henry Kissinger, Mike Nichols and Diane Sawyer,
Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes—the last four of whom are said to have left him quite some time ago. There are other clients, also wealthy but not high-profile, who came to Starr for his services because of Mellon. The thinking is simple and shared by most of us: If he’s trusted by one of the richest women in America, what could be a better recommendation? All of his clients were also made aware of his activity with Joan Stanton’s money and that she accused him of mishandling and losing tens of millions. Since that case was settled, Starr’s spending—like the $4.5 million condo—has become more obvious. Wife
number four, repeatedly described in the tabloids as a former “pole dancer” at Scores, the lap-dancing joint under the 59th Street bridge, has a reported fondness (that word again) for diamonds. And a besotted husband who wanted only to please. Some have dated Starr’s “changes” back to when he first started dating the Scores star, as if to imply the she-devil made him do it. However, the new Starr was a mere child when he met Mellon and Stanton. Unlike his predecessor, Bernie Madoff, Starr liked getting out and about, prospecting for new business and rich widows. Then, on a Thursday in late
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