Robert Mueller, a decorated veteran, directed the FBI and served as special counsel investigating ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump reacted sharply after the death of Robert Mueller, the former FBI director and special counsel who led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Mueller died Friday at age 81, his family confirmed in a statement. Shortly after the announcement, the president posted a comment on social media.ย
โRobert Mueller just died. Good, Iโm glad heโs dead,” Trump wrote. โHe can no longer hurt innocent people!”ย
Muellerโs integrity was a key factor that led to his appointment to oversee the politically sensitive probe into possible ties between Trumpโs 2016 presidential campaign and possible influence from Russian actors.ย
The investigation revealed numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials and detailed how the campaign expected to benefit from information released through Kremlin-linked efforts.
However, Mueller ultimately did not establish that the campaign conspired with Russia. He also declined to pursue an obstruction charge against Trump, citing Justice Department guidance that a sitting president could not be indicted.
Trump repeatedly dismissed the investigation as a โwitch hunt,โ and by the time Muellerโs nearly 450-page report was released, public opinion about his work had become sharply divided along partisan lines.
Mueller is the second-longest-serving director in FBI history, behind only J. Edgar Hoover, from 2001 until 2013.ย
He is a decorated Marine who served as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Purple Heart, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He was a service member from 1966 until 1980 and rose to the rank of captain.ย
Mueller was appointed to special counsel in 2017 by the Department of Justice.ย
