Robert S. Mueller III, the former FBI director who guided the bureau after the Sept. 11 attacks and later served as special counsel in the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, has died at 81, his family said. They asked for privacy as they grieve.
Colleagues and legal peers paid tribute to Mueller’s public service. The FBI Agents Association noted he led the bureau through a period of major change, strengthening its capacity to confront evolving national security threats while maintaining its criminal investigative responsibilities. A spokesperson for the WilmerHale law firm, where Mueller was a partner after government service, described him as an exceptional leader and person of integrity and praised his long record of service, including as a decorated Marine, FBI director and Justice Department official.
Mueller was the second-longest serving FBI director and was widely regarded for steady, disciplined leadership and a focus on national security. He was born in New York City on Aug. 7, 1944. He studied politics at Princeton and earned a master’s degree in international relations from New York University. Motivated in part by the death of a college classmate in Vietnam, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1968, served two years in Vietnam as a platoon leader and received the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and two Commendation Medals, among other honors.
After leaving the Marines as a captain in 1970, Mueller graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1973. He spent nearly three decades as a U.S. attorney in San Francisco, Boston and Washington, and served in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. During his DOJ career he investigated organized crime, pursued those responsible for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight and prosecuted former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.
Appointed FBI director by President George W. Bush on July 5, 2001, Mueller led the bureau as it shifted emphasis from predominantly domestic investigations to confronting transnational terrorism following the 9/11 attacks. He completed a full 10-year term and, at President Barack Obama’s request, remained for two additional years before returning to the private sector in 2013.
In May 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named Mueller special counsel to oversee the probe into alleged Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. The investigation concentrated on the 2016 Donald Trump campaign and produced numerous indictments, including those of political consultant Roger Stone and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, among others. Mueller submitted his report in March 2019, which did not conclude the Trump campaign had coordinated with the Russian government to affect the election. He stepped down from the special counsel post two months later.
News of Mueller’s death prompted an immediate and polarized reaction. Former President Donald Trump posted online comments celebrating Mueller’s death, remarks that drew criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum. Republican Senator Thom Tillis called the response a sad reflection of current political discourse and said Mueller, as someone who served the country, deserved more respect. Democratic Senator Mark Warner expressed mourning for Mueller and praised his long career of public service and commitment to the rule of law.
In public remarks and speeches, Mueller stressed the importance of honesty and reputation. At a 2017 commencement address, he urged graduates to live with integrity, patience and humility, warning that a lost reputation is rarely regained.
Mueller is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Ann Cabell Standish, their two daughters and five grandchildren.