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Robert Mueller, who served as the sixth director of the FBI and special counsel for the Department of Justice overseeing an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has reportedly died at the age of 81, two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MS NOW.
Mueller's cause of death wasn't immediately known at the time of publication, however, he had battled Parkinson's disease for years, the two sources confirmed. Mueller served as the FBI director from 2001 to 2013 and was appointed by the Justice Department as special counsel to oversee allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election benefited President Donald Trump's campaign after Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey during his first of two non-consecutive presidential terms in 2017.
The two-year probe resulted in 37 indictments and seven guilty pleas, though found no evidence that Trump or his aides coordinated with Russia, nor conclude that he committed any crime, though also not clear him of obstruction of justice.
Trump had repeatedly bashed the Mueller probe in public, calling it a "witch hunt," "a scam" and a "hoax" and gave a scathing reaction to Mueller's death in a post shared on his Truth Social account.
"Robert Mueller just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote.