Robert Mueller, Former FBI Director and Russia Special Counsel, Dies at 81

Robert S. Mueller III, who directed the FBI for 12 years and later served as special counsel in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, has died at 81. His former law firm, WilmerHale, announced on Saturday that Mueller, a retired partner, died the previous night in Charlottesville, Virginia, and that he is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Ann, two daughters and five grandchildren.

MS NOW reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that the cause was not immediately known but that he had had Parkinson’s disease for years. WilmerHale did not give a cause, and NBC News said none was stated; it noted his family told The New York Times in 2025 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021.

Mueller was a Marine officer who was decorated for valor in combat in Vietnam, the firm said. MS NOW reported that he earned a Purple Heart after being shot while leading a platoon. He later held prosecutorial and Justice Department posts, including U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, according to MS NOW.

He became the sixth FBI director a week before the September 11 attacks, under President George W. Bush, WilmerHale, MS NOW and NBC News reported. After reaching the 10-year statutory limit, he stayed two more years under special legislation that President Obama requested and the Senate passed 100-0, the firm said. MS NOW reported that he reoriented the bureau toward counterterrorism and fended off a proposal to split it in two.

In 2017, after President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, Mueller was appointed special counsel to oversee the Russia investigation, MS NOW reported. The probe produced 37 indictments and seven guilty pleas, according to MS NOW; the figures were not independently confirmed. MS NOW and ABC News reported that it found no evidence that Mr. Trump’s campaign or aides coordinated with Russia, and MS NOW said it neither concluded that the president committed a crime nor cleared him of obstruction.

WilmerHale said Mueller “embodied integrity, candor, and humility,” and called him “an extraordinary leader and public servant and a person of the greatest integrity.” The firm quoted his advice on service: “the way in which you choose to serve does not matter—only that you work to better your country and your community.”

Reaction from lawmakers split in a familiar way, MS NOW reported. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, called him “a dedicated, courageous patriot, skilled prosecutor, & tireless investigative leader,” and Virginia Democrat Sen. Mark Warner praised his “integrity, duty, and strength of character.” Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said Mueller served honorably “in his earlier days” but was “used by some of his colleagues” in his last public service, and Rep. Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican, said Mueller had a strong reputation and career until he led the Russia investigation. The FBI Agents Association credited him with leading the bureau through significant change while keeping its core criminal investigative mission.

MS NOW also reported that Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social, “Good, I’m glad he’s dead,” adding that Mueller “can no longer hurt innocent people!” Sen. Adam Schiff condemned the post, calling it a sign of the president’s “basic indecency and unfitness for office,” according to MS NOW.