Robert Mueller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Mueller
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Official portrait, 2011
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| Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice | |
| In office May 17, 2017 – May 29, 2019 |
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| Appointed by | Rod Rosenstein |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| 6th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office September 4, 2001 – September 4, 2013 |
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| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Thomas J. Pickard Bruce J. Gebhardt John S. Pistole Timothy P. Murphy Sean M. Joyce |
| Preceded by | Louis Freeh Thomas J. Pickard (acting) |
| Succeeded by | James Comey |
| United States Deputy Attorney General | |
| Acting January 20, 2001 – May 10, 2001 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Eric Holder |
| Succeeded by | Larry Thompson |
| United States Attorney for the Northern District of California | |
| In office August 1998 – August 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Michael Yamaguchi |
| Succeeded by | Kevin V. Ryan |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division | |
| In office August 1990 – January 1993 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Edward Dennis |
| Succeeded by | Jo Ann Harris |
| United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | |
| Acting October 10, 1986 – April 6, 1987 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Bill Weld |
| Succeeded by | Frank L. McNamara Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Swan Mueller III
August 7, 1944 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Ann Cabell Standish
(m. 1966) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1968–1971 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | H Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division |
| Commands | Platoon commander |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards |
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Robert Swan Mueller III (born August 7, 1944) is an American lawyer. He is best known for being the sixth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2001 to 2013.
Mueller went to Princeton University and New York University. He served as a Marine Corps officer during the Vietnam War. For his bravery, he received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Later, he studied law at the University of Virginia School of Law.
He is a registered Republican. Different presidents, including George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, appointed him to important government jobs.
Mueller has worked in both government and private law firms. He was a prosecutor, a lawyer for the government, and a partner at a law firm. He is the only FBI Director since 1972 to serve longer than the usual 10 years. This was because Congress gave him a special two-year extension.
In 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein chose Mueller to be a special counsel. His job was to investigate claims of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He gave his report to Attorney General William Barr in March 2019. The report was released to the public in April. Mueller left his special counsel role in May 2019.
Contents
Robert Mueller: A Life of Service
Early Life and School Days
Robert Mueller was born on August 7, 1944, in New York City. He was the first child of Alice and Robert Swan Mueller Jr. He has four younger sisters. His father worked for DuPont and was a Navy officer during World War II.
Mueller grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. He went to Princeton Country Day School. For high school, he attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. There, he was captain of the soccer, hockey, and lacrosse teams. He was also named the school's top athlete in 1962. John Kerry, who later became a Senator and Secretary of State, was a lacrosse teammate and classmate.
After high school, Mueller went to Princeton University. He continued to play lacrosse. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics in 1966. In 1967, he received a Master of Arts degree in international relations from New York University.
In 1968, Mueller joined the United States Marine Corps. After his military service, he went to the University of Virginia School of Law. He graduated in 1973.
Serving in the Marines
Mueller decided to join the military after his Princeton lacrosse teammate, David Spencer Hackett, died in the Vietnam War. Mueller said, "One of the reasons I went into the Marine Corps was because we lost a very good friend, a Marine in Vietnam."
He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1968. He went through officer training at places like Parris Island and Army Ranger School. He said Ranger School was the most valuable because it taught him how to react when tired and hungry.
In 1968, he was sent to South Vietnam. He led a rifle platoon as a second lieutenant. On December 11, 1968, he showed great bravery during a fight. He rescued a wounded Marine while under enemy fire. For this, he received the Bronze Star with a "V" device for valor. In April 1969, he was shot in the thigh. He recovered and returned to lead his platoon until June 1969.
Mueller left active duty in August 1970 as a captain. He later said, "I consider myself exceptionally lucky to have made it out of Vietnam." He also shared that he was "most proud the Marine Corps deemed me worthy of leading other Marines."
A Career in Law and Justice
After law school, Mueller worked as a lawyer in San Francisco until 1976. Then, he worked for 12 years in United States Attorney offices.
In 1989, he returned to government service in the United States Department of Justice. He worked as an assistant to the Attorney General. People who worked with him said he had a strong respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.
In 1990, Mueller became the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. In this role, he oversaw important cases, including those against Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega and Gambino crime family boss John Gotti.
In 1993, Mueller became a partner at a law firm in Boston. He focused on white-collar crime cases. He returned to public service in 1995 as a senior lawyer in the homicide section of the District of Columbia United States Attorney's Office. From 1998 to 2001, Mueller was the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California.
Leading the FBI
President George W. Bush nominated Mueller to be the FBI director on July 5, 2001. He was seen as a strong candidate. The Senate Judiciary Committee quickly set his confirmation hearing for July 30, just before his prostate cancer surgery.
The Senate approved Mueller as FBI director unanimously on August 2, 2001. He officially started his job on September 4, 2001. This was just one week before the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
In 2004, Mueller was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. As FBI director, he also prevented FBI staff from taking part in certain harsh interrogation methods used by the CIA.
In May 2011, President Barack Obama asked Mueller to stay on as FBI director for two more years. His normal 10-year term would have ended in September 2011. The Senate approved this request. On September 4, 2013, James Comey took over as FBI director.
In June 2013, Mueller defended some NSA surveillance programs. He said these programs could have helped prevent the September 11 attacks. He stated that the government's surveillance programs followed U.S. law and basic constitutional rights.
Special Counsel Investigation
On May 17, 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel for the United States Department of Justice. Mueller's main job was to investigate any connections between the Russian government and people involved with Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
Many politicians from both parties supported Mueller's appointment. However, some people worried about a possible conflict of interest because of his past work. The Department of Justice ethics experts said Mueller was ethically able to do his job as special counsel.
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On March 22, 2019, Mueller finished his investigation. He gave his final report to Attorney General William Barr. A Justice Department official said the report did not recommend any new charges. On March 24, Attorney General Barr sent a summary of the report to Congress. He stated that the investigation did not find that the Trump campaign worked with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Barr also said that Mueller's report did not say the President committed a crime, but it also did not clear him.
On April 18, 2019, the Department of Justice released the full report. On May 29, 2019, Mueller announced he was leaving his role as special counsel. He spoke publicly about the report for the first time. He said the report was his "testimony" and that he would not add anything new. He repeated that the report did not accuse or clear the president of a crime. He also stressed that there were "multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election" by Russian operatives.
On July 24, 2019, Mueller testified before two House committees in Congress. He answered questions from lawmakers. He said he was "not familiar" with some details outside his investigation. He rejected claims that his investigation was a "witch hunt" or that it fully cleared the President. He warned that foreign interference in American elections continues and is a big threat to the United States.
In 2021, the University of Virginia Law School announced that Mueller would teach a course about his report. In 2024, a book about his investigation, with an introduction written by Mueller, was announced for release.
Personal Life
Mueller met his future wife, Ann Cabell Standish, at a high school party when they were 17. Ann worked as a special-education teacher. They married in September 1966. They have two daughters and three grandchildren. One of their daughters was born with spina bifida.
In 2001, Mueller had to delay his Senate confirmation hearings for the FBI director job. This was because he was getting treatment for prostate cancer. He was diagnosed in late 2000. He waited until he had a good health report from his doctor before being sworn in.
Mueller was raised Presbyterian but later became an Episcopalian. He and William Barr, the attorney general who oversaw the end of his special counsel investigation, have been friends since the 1980s.
Awards and Recognition
Mueller has received several military awards and decorations for his service:
- Bronze Star with "V" device (for valor)
- Purple Heart Medal (for being wounded in combat)
- Two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat "V"
- Combat Action Ribbon
- National Defense Service Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars
- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
- Parachutist Badge
In 2016, he received the Thayer Award for public service from the United States Military Academy. In 2017, he received the Baker Award for his contributions to intelligence and national security.
