Ex-FBI Director Mueller, Leader of Trump-Russia Probe, Dies at 81

Robert S. Mueller III, the longest-serving FBI director in modern history and the special counsel who investigated ties between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, died Friday night at age 81, his family announced Saturday.

"With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away Friday night," his family said in a statement. "His family asks that their privacy be respected." No cause of death was given.

Mueller's death carries weight for Florida voters and the federal institutions that serve them. The special counsel investigation Mueller led produced indictments, guilty pleas and a nearly 450-page report that shaped national debate for years. That debate resonated across Florida, a perennial presidential battleground where the 2016 and 2020 elections hinged on margins of thousands of votes. Treasure Coast residents in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, many of whom have followed the long arc of federal investigations into election interference, watched Mueller's work reach into the highest levels of government and test the independence of federal law enforcement institutions that operate offices throughout the state.

Mueller, a Republican and decorated Vietnam War veteran, was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously by the Senate. He took office just one week before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, immediately overhauling the FBI's mission from domestic crime-solving to counterterrorism — a shift that redefined the bureau across the tenures of presidents from both parties. He served 12 years as director.

He was later appointed special counsel by the Justice Department to investigate whether the Trump campaign illegally coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Trump, responding to news of Mueller's death on social media, wrote: "Robert Mueller just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!"

No public memorial arrangements had been announced as of Saturday.

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