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

Robert Mueller, the former director of the FBI and the special counsel who led the probe into ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, has died at 81, his family said on March 22, 2026. The family announced that he passed away Friday night and asked for privacy as they grieve.

Mueller served a 12-year term as FBI director beginning one week before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, a period in which he redirected bureau priorities toward counterterrorism and national security. Nominated by President George W. Bush, he later stayed past his 10-year term at the request of President Barack Obama, ultimately serving until 2013. In 2017 Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller special counsel; his office produced a 448-page report in April 2019 that documented numerous contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, brought criminal charges against six associates, and declined to allege a criminal conspiracy while stating it could not exonerate the president on obstruction questions.

Colleagues and former presidents praised Mueller’s public service and his role in reshaping the bureau, even as his tenure included internal controversies over surveillance practices, technology projects and interrogation policies. The FBI Agents Association noted his commitment to the agency. Statements from former presidents reflected broad recognition of his impact on the Justice Department and national security institutions.