1.   Cudahy is one of three judges who oversee independent counsels.

2.   His former judicial colleague, David B. Sentelle, who heads the panel overseeing independent counsels, appointed Starr to replace the more moderate Robert Fiske.

3.   It gave power to a three-judge panel to appoint and oversee independent counsels, taking from the Executive Branch the power of investigating itself.

4.   Some say the special federal court that oversees the counsels has gone out of its way to appoint political enemies of the White House to head the investigations.

5.   The independent-counsel law also requires Starr to file a report about his investigation to the special three-judge court that oversees independent counsels.