Former FBI Chief Robert Mueller dies at 81

## Summary
Advertisement Asia Former FBI Chief Robert Mueller dies at 81 Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election served as the key motivator behind the first impeachment of President Trump in 2018 Former special counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Intelligence Committee hearing on his report on Russian election interference, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Jul 24, 2019. (PHOTO: AP/Andrew Harnik) 22 Mar 2026 02:41AM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST WASHINGTON: Robert Mueller, the no-nonsense former FBI chief who documented Russia's interference in the 2016 US election and its contacts with Donald Trump's campaign but opted not to bring criminal charges against a sitting president, has died at age 81, multiple news outlets reported on Saturday (Mar 21). Mueller retired after 12 years as Federal Bureau of Investigation director in 2013 but was summoned back to public service by a senior Justice Department official four years later as a special counsel to take over an inquiry into Russia's election meddling after Trump fired then-FBI chief James Comey. Russia denied election interference. "First, our investigation found that the Russian government interfered in our election in sweeping and systematic fashion," Mueller said during 2019 congressional testimony. "Second, the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government in its election interference activities.

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Former FBI Chief Robert Mueller dies at 81
Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election served as the key motivator behind the first impeachment of President Trump in 2018
Former special counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Intelligence Committee hearing on his report on Russian election interference, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Jul 24, 2019. (PHOTO: AP/Andrew Harnik)
22 Mar 2026 02:41AM
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WASHINGTON: Robert Mueller, the no-nonsense former FBI chief who documented Russia's interference in the 2016 US election and its contacts with Donald Trump's campaign but opted not to bring criminal charges against a sitting president, has died at age 81, multiple news outlets reported on Saturday (Mar 21).
His death was reported by MS NOW and a New York Times journalist who posted a statement attributed to the Mueller family. No cause of death was given for Mueller, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who led the FBI in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.
The New York Times last year reported that Mueller had Parkinson's disease.
Mueller retired after 12 years as Federal Bureau of Investigation director in 2013 but was summoned back to public service by a senior Justice Department official four years later as a special counsel to take over an inquiry into Russia's election meddling after Trump fired then-FBI chief James Comey.
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Mueller conducted a 22-month investigation that produced indictments against 34 people, including several Trump associates as well as Russian intelligence officers and three Russian companies, and a series of guilty pleas and convictions. Mueller ultimately stopped short of a criminal indictment of the Republican president, bitterly disappointing many Democrats.
Trump on Saturday celebrated Mueller's passing. "Good, I'm glad he's dead," Trump wrote on the Truth Social site. "He can no longer hurt innocent people!"
During his career as a prosecutor and FBI chief, Mueller displayed a patrician manner and sometimes wooden personality - just about the opposite of the bombastic Trump. He was known by some as "Bobby Three Sticks" because of his full name - Robert Mueller III - a moniker that belied his formal bearing and sober approach to law enforcement.
His Russia inquiry, detailed in a 448-page 2019 report, laid bare what Mueller and US intelligence agencies have described as a Russian campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the US, denigrate 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and boost Trump, the Kremlin's preferred candidate. Russia denied election interference.
"First, our investigation found that the Russian government interfered in our election in sweeping and systematic fashion," Mueller said during 2019 congressional testimony.
"Second, the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government in its election interference activities. We did not address 'collusion,' which is not a legal term. Rather, we focused on whether the evidence was sufficient to charge any member of the campaign with taking part in a criminal conspiracy. It was not," Mueller added.
In analyzing whether Trump had committed the crime of obstruction of justice, Mueller looked at a series of actions. These included Trump's attempts to have the special counsel fired and to limit the scope of the investigation as well as the president's efforts to prevent the public from knowing about a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York between senior Trump campaign officials and Russians. Mueller pointedly did not exonerate the president, as Trump claimed.
"Based on Justice Department policy and principles of fairness, we decided we would not make a determination as to whether the president committed a crime," Mueller told lawmakers.
"The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed," Mueller added.
"NUMEROUS LINKS"
Mueller was named by the Justice Department's No. 2 official, Rod Rosenstein, to take over the Russia investigation.
The investigation, according to the report, unearthed "numerous links" between the Russian government and Trump's campaign and said the president's team "expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts," referring to hacked Democratic emai

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- The investigation, according to the report, unearthed "numerous links" between the Russian government and Trump's campaign and said the president's team "expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts," referring to hacked Democratic emails.

### Areas for Consideration
- CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Mueller conducted a 22-month investigation that produced indictments against 34 people, including several Trump associates as well as Russian intelligence officers and three Russian companies, and a series of guilty pleas and convictions.

### Implications
- Mueller pointedly did not exonerate the president, as Trump claimed. "Based on Justice Department policy and principles of fairness, we decided we would not make a determination as to whether the president committed a crime," Mueller told lawmakers. "The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed," Mueller added. "NUMEROUS LINKS" Mueller was named by the Justice Department's No. 2 official, Rod Rosenstein, to take over the Russia investigation.
- Mueller was credited with transforming the premier US. law enforcement agency after Congress and an independent government commission determined that the FBI and CIA had failed to share information before the September 11 attacks that could have helped prevent them.
- Gotti and the probe into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, before Bush chose him to lead the FBI. "He really hates the bad guys," former Massachusetts Governor William Weld, who preceded Mueller as the US attorney in Boston, told the New York Times in 2013.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers mueller, trump, fbi topics. Notable strengths include discussion of mueller. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1501.