Published On 21 Mar 2026
Former FBI chief Robert Mueller, who probed the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States election, has died at age 81.
“With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away” on Friday night, his family said in a statement Saturday.
“His family asks that their privacy be respected.”
Mueller was appointed as director of the FBI by then-President George Bush in September 2001, a week before the 9/11 attacks that would push him into the centre of a national crisis.
He became the key figure behind changing the FBI from combating crime to now countering national security risks following the attack on New York’s World Trade Centre.
In 2013, Mueller stepped down from the bureau and later by 2017 was appointed as special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s probe into possible Russian interference in the election, which saw Donald Trump secure his first term over Democratic nominee, Hilary Clinton.
Following the announcement of his death, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to write: “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”
Mueller is survived by his wife and two children.