Mueller’s investigation into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election put Trump’s first term under a microscope
FBI Director Robert Mueller speaks during a news conference at the FBI headquarters June 25, 2008 in Washington, DC.
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Robert Mueller, the ex-FBI chief whose investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election defined much of Donald Trump’s first term in office, has died aged 81.
His family wrote in a statement on Friday night: “With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away. His family asks that their privacy be respected.”
His cause of death is not yet known.
Mueller is credited with reshaping the FBI into a modern counterterrorism agency, having led the Bureau 2001 to 2013 – taking the office just days before the 9/11 terror attacks.
Mueller’s special counsel inquiry put Trump’s 2016 campaign under a microscope, drawing harsh criticism from the president.
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Mueller testifies before the House Judiciary Committee about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
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His investigation into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election – and the potential involvement of Trump and his campaign – drew mass speculation for nearly two years.
Trump condemned Mueller’s inquiry as a “witch hunt” and a “hoax”, viewing him as one of his greatest political adversaries.
Ultimately, the 448-page “Mueller report” was thorough but inconclusive.
It found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in a “sweeping and systemic fashion”, but failed to establish that members of the Trump campaign were involved.
It noted: “while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him”.
Mueller Testifies On Investigation Into Election Interference Before House Committees.
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After the announcement of Mueller’s death, the president on Saturday wrote on Truth Social: “I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”
However, tributes have poured in from Mueller’s former employers and colleagues.
Former FBI director James Comey, who succeeded Mueller at the agency and whose abrupt firing by Trump led to the Mueller investigation, said: “A great American died today, one I was lucky enough to learn from and stand beside.”
A spokesperson from his former law firm, WilmerHale, called Mueller an “extraordinary leader and public servant and a person of the greatest integrity”.
Mueller was born in 1944, and after studying politics at Princeton University, he joined the Marines and deployed to Vietnam in 1968.
As a lieutenant, Mueller led a platoon of troops, was wounded twice in battle, and was awarded numerous commendations, including the Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart.
After returning from the war he went to the University of Virginia, where he studied law and graduated in 1973.
In August 2001, Mueller was unanimously confirmed as FBI director by the Senate, serving the agency for more than a decade before retiring in 2013.
Mueller is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Ann Cabell Standish, their two daughters, and three grandchildren.