The family of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Robert Mueller announced his passing on 20/3, without specifying the cause or location. Mueller had served as the special prosecutor overseeing the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election and Donald Trump's campaign finances.
Mueller was born on 7/8/1944 in New York City and grew up in Manhattan's affluent Upper East Side. He attended the prestigious Princeton University, which was then an all-male institution, earning a bachelor's degree in 1966.
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Former special prosecutor Robert Mueller. Photo: AP
After graduating from college, Mueller joined the US Marine Corps. Following one year of service, he entered officer training and served in the Marine Corps.
Mueller began leading the FBI in 2001. Then-President George W. Bush and lawmakers agreed that Mueller was the right person to reform the FBI, which was then embroiled in scandals. His tenure began just days before al-Qaeda's terrorist attacks on the US on 11/9/2001.
"Bob transformed the FBI's mission to national security after 11/9. He effectively led the agency, helping to prevent another terrorist attack on US soil," Bush said in a statement honoring Mueller.
Former president Barack Obama, whose presidency overlapped with Mueller's FBI directorship for 5 years, praised him as "one of the most respected public servants of our time."
Mueller led the FBI from 2001 to 2012, then joined the law firm WilmerHale as a partner in its Washington office in 2014.
In 2017, he withdrew from WilmerHale when appointed special prosecutor to investigate alleged Russian interference in the US election and the relationship between Trump's campaign team and Moscow. Trump repeatedly denied the allegations, criticizing the investigation as a "witch hunt" and a "conflict of interest."
In 2019, Mueller concluded his investigation, finding no evidence that Trump and his associates conspired with Russia in the 2016 election. During congressional hearings, he sidestepped questions from both Democrats and Republicans by repeatedly referencing his voluminous report, while affirming that the report did not exonerate Trump. Mueller later rejoined WilmerHale and retired in 2021.
"Robert Mueller just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead, he can no longer harm innocent people!" Trump posted on Truth Social.
In 3/2025, Trump signed an executive order targeting the law firm WilmerHale, pointing out that the firm had employed Mueller along with his two assistants, Aaron Zebley and James Quarles, alleging this was "weaponizing the justice system."
Huyen Le (According to AFP)
