Key Facts
Career & Education
About
Terry Falk Lenzner (1939-2020) was an American attorney and pioneering private investigator who founded Investigative Group International (IGI) in 1984. He was renowned for his work on high-profile political and corporate investigations, including serving as chief investigator for the Senate Watergate Committee, which helped uncover evidence leading to President Richard Nixon's resignation. His firm, IGI, became one of the world's largest private investigation firms, handling major cases such as the Iran-Contra affair, the Whitewater scandal involving the Clintons, and the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton. Born in Manhattan, New York, to a Jewish family, Lenzner attended Columbia College (BA 1961) and Harvard Law School (JD 1965). His early career involved civil rights activism with the U.S. Department of Justice. While influential in modern investigative practices, Lenzner faced controversies over aggressive tactics and ethical questions, including a 2000 settlement with the FBI over alleged unauthorized database access. He authored a memoir, 'The Investigator: Fifty Years of Uncovering the Truth' (2013), and was active in philanthropy through the Terry and Ruth Lenzner Family Foundation. He died from COVID-19 complications on April 23, 2020, in Washington, D.C., at age 80.