Judge discloses investigation Starr's office for illegal leaks.

WASHINGTON _ A judge disclosed Friday independent counsel Kenneth Starr's office is being investigated in connection with two dozen potentially illegal news leaks about President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

It's not the only investigation Starr faces. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, preparing to defend Clinton against impeachment charges, are also looking at the prosecutor's spending and at events leading up to the start of the Lewinsky investigation in January.

White House officials have long said that political motives were behind the perjury and obstruction of justice investigation of the president. So they quickly responded to disclosure of the leak investigation authorized by U.S. District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson.

``We believe that the Office of the Independent Counsel has been waging a campaign of leaks against the president in an improper effort to influence public and congressional opinion,'' said Greg Craig, special counsel to the president.

In a statement, Starr denied illegally …