Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who led the bureau in the tumultuous decade following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and who later served as special counsel overseeing the politically charged investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, has died, his family announced. He was 81.
“With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away last night,” a family statement said. “His family asks that their privacy be respected.”
The FBI Agents Association also mourned the passing of Mueller, noting he led the bureau “during a period of significant change and played an important role in strengthening its ability to confront evolving national security threats while maintaining its core criminal investigative mission.”
A spokesperson for the WilmerHale law firm, where Mueller had been a partner, commended him as an “extraordinary leader and public servant and a person of the greatest integrity.”
“His service to our country, including as a decorated officer in the Marine Corps, as FBI Director, and at the Department of Justice, was exemplary and inspiring,” the spokesperson said. “We are deeply proud that he was our partner.”
Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation on May 29, 2019 at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C.
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Mueller was the second-longest serving FBI director in the agency’s history. He had a decorated career in public service, cultivating a reputation for steady leadership, dedication to country and commitment to protecting the nation’s security.
Born in New York City on Aug. 7, 1944, Robert Swan Mueller III studied politics at Princeton University, and then earned a master’s degree in international relations from New York University.
Emboldened by the death of a classmate in the Vietnam War, Mueller enlisted in the Marines in 1968, serving two years in Vietnam as a platoon leader, during which he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, two Commendation Medals and other recognition.
Upon leaving the Marines in 1970 at the rank of captain, Mueller attended the University of Virginia Law School, graduating in 1973 and then spending the next 28 years working as a U.S. attorney in San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C., as well as three years at the Department of Justice Criminal Division.
During his time at the DOJ, Mueller investigated the Gambino crime family and also prosecuted the men responsible for bombing a Pan Am Flight in December 1988, as well as former Panamanian military leader Manuel Noriega.
On July 5, 2001, Mueller was appointed to be director of the FBI, nominated by then-President George W. Bush. His tenure there saw the bureau’s focus shift from domestic investigations to tackling foreign terrorists after the 9/11 attacks, during which time Mueller developed a reputation among agents for being no-nonsense.
After serving his full 10-year term as FBI director, Mueller agreed to then-President Barack Obama’s request to remain in the position for two more years, after which he returned to the private sector in 2013.
FBI Director Robert Mueller testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., June 19, 2013.
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In May 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller to oversee the investigation of alleged Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. The investigation focused primarily on the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign and returned numerous high-profile indictments, including political consultant and lobbyist Roger Stone, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and 32 others.
Mueller submitted his long-anticipated report in March 2019, which did not find that the Trump campaign had worked with the Russian government to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Two months later, he stepped down from his special counsel position and returned to private life.
Trump took to social media Saturday as news of Mueller’s passing broke.
“Robert Mueller just died,” the president said. “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”
The president’s statements were quickly met with pushback on Capitol Hill.
“I think that that’s a sad statement about where we are in our political discourse to be honest with you,” Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, of North Carolina,told reportersupon learning of the president’s remarks. “I certainly don’t celebrate the death of somebody who you could disagree maybe on certain matters, but this is a person who served this country and deserves more respect than that.”
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, of Virginia, said: “I join many Americans mourning the loss ofRobertMueller, he led a career of public service always committed to rule of law. I didn’t always agree with him, but I join many in mourning his passing.”
Addressing the 2017 graduating class at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, Mueller advised the graduates to live their lives with “integrity, patience and humility.”
“Whatever we do, we must act with honesty and with integrity, and regardless of your chosen career, you’re only as good as your word,” Mueller declared. “If you are not honest, your reputation will suffer, and once lost, a good reputation can never, ever be regained.”
Mueller is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Ann Cabell Standish, as well as two daughters and five grandchildren.