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Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has died at the age of 81, and President Donald Trump gave a sharp reaction on Truth Social.
“Robert Mueller just died,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” Trump added.
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Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, pictured May 29, 2019, is the latest person to testify in the House Oversight Committee’s probe into Jeffrey Epstein. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Mueller led the FBI from 2001 to 2013 and later served as special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, a probe that shadowed much of Trump’s presidency.
He brought charges against multiple Trump associates during the Russia investigation, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
His final report detailed extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but did not establish a criminal conspiracy.
Mueller declined to make a traditional prosecutorial decision on whether Trump obstructed justice, citing longstanding Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president.
Mueller’s family announced his death in a statement.
“With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away” on Friday night, his family said in a statement Saturday, according to The Associated Press. “His family asks that their privacy be respected.”
In this June 21, 2017, file photo, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the special counsel probing Russian interference in the 2016 election, departs Capitol Hill following a closed-door meeting in Washington. (AP)
A cause of death was not immediately known.
Mueller had been in ill health after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer withdrew a subpoena for Mueller to testify in September in the panel’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation after learning he had health issues that prevented him from appearing.
Mueller had difficulty with speech and mobility and was unable to appear before Congress, his family said at the time.
A Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam, Mueller built a decades-long career in law enforcement and national security.
He worked as a federal prosecutor and later served as U.S. attorney in San Francisco before taking on senior roles at the Justice Department.
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Robert Mueller, then FBI director, speaks during a news conference at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., on June 25, 2008. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
He was appointed FBI director in 2001, just one week before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and went on to lead the bureau through a major shift toward counterterrorism.
Mueller remained in the role for 12 years after being asked by President Barack Obama to stay beyond the traditional 10-year term.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
