President Trump accuses President Obama of treason over 2016 election scandal
Donald Trump claims that former President Barack Obama committed treason by trying to sabotage his 2016 election victory in connection with Russian interference.
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Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, who served as special counsel in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, died on March 21 at the age of 81, leaving behind a medal and a notable opponent.
Mueller, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021, died Saturday, his family confirmed in a statement obtained by USA TODAY, according to the New York Times.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Bob’s passing last night,” Mueller’s family said in a statement. The family did not disclose the cause of death, but asked for privacy to be respected.
Mr. Mueller is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Anne Cabell Standish, two daughters, and five grandchildren.
He earned the ire of President Donald Trump for his role as special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. President Trump said on social media: “I’m glad he’s dead.”
Here’s what you need to know about Robert Mueller.
Who is Robert Mueller?
Mr. Mueller was born in New York City on August 7, 1944, grew up in suburban Philadelphia, graduated from Princeton University in 1966, and later earned a master’s degree in international relations from New York University, according to his biography on the FBI’s website.
After college, Moller enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as an officer for three years and led a rifle platoon in Vietnam. For his service, Moller received a Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals, a Purple Heart (awarded to wounded or killed in action) and the Vietnam Cross of Valor, according to his biography.
After serving in the military, Mueller earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1973. Mueller then worked as a litigator in San Francisco until 1976, then worked for 12 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California in San Francisco, and then as an assistant U.S. attorney in Boston.
Mueller worked between a Boston-based law firm and the U.S. Attorney’s Office before being appointed U.S. Attorney in San Francisco in 1998. He served in this position until September 4, 2001, when former President George W. Bush and the Senate unanimously confirmed him as the sixth FBI Director. He took office just one week before 9/11 and remained in office until his 12-year term ended on September 4, 2013.
Robert Mueller leads Russia collusion investigation
Mueller, who was appointed special counsel by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on May 17, 2017, was tasked with “overseeing the FBI’s previously identified investigation into the Russian government’s efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and related matters,” according to a Justice Department news release.
The investigation culminated in Mueller’s final report in 2019, concluding that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help then-presidential candidate Trump. However, there was no evidence that Trump campaign officials colluded with the Russian government at the time.
President Trump will call the investigation a hoax regarding some of the accusations. He also criticized former President Barack Obama’s staff.
What was Robert Mueller’s cause of death?
In a statement, Mueller’s family did not specify the cause of death, but asked that their privacy be respected.
Muller died nearly five years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The New York Times reported that he learned of his diagnosis in the summer of 2021, citing a 2025 family statement obtained by the newspaper. The statement came just days before he was called to testify before a Congressional committee about the government’s response to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Parkinson’s disease is an age-related degenerative brain disease that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate, causing slowed movements, tremors, and problems with balance.
Contributor: Aisha Bagchi, USA TODAY
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
