Ex-FBI director Robert Mueller, who investigated Russia-Trump campaign ties, dies aged 81

AFP / France 24
by FRANCE24
March 22, 2026
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3 min read

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Robert Mueller, the former FBI director and special counsel who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 Trump campaign, has died at age 81.

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Robert S. Mueller III, the former FBI director and special counsel who led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 Trump campaign, has died at age 81. Mueller served as FBI director from 2001 to 2013, overseeing the agency's transformation into a counterterrorism-focused organization following the Sept. 11 attacks. He later took on the role of special counsel beginning in 2017, conducting a nearly two-year investigation that examined potential coordination between Trump's campaign and Russia. The Mueller Report, released in 2019, detailed Russian interference efforts but did not establish criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Mueller's death marks the end of a career that spanned decades in federal law enforcement and made him a central figure in one of the most consequential political investigations in modern American history.

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