Special prosecutor of the Russian investigation

(Washington) Robert Mueller, known for his role as prosecutor in charge of the very delicate “Russian investigation” which poisoned the start of Donald Trump’s first term, died at 81, the American president immediately rejoicing at his death on Saturday.

Appointed special prosecutor in 2017, this former director of the federal police (FBI) supervised for almost two years the investigation into possible collusion between Moscow and candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign.

A taciturn and discreet man, he supervised this investigation in the greatest secrecy and presented his conclusions in April 2019 in a document of more than 400 pages. He described Russian efforts to help Donald Trump in 2016, but added that he had not gathered evidence of a plot between Moscow and the Republican billionaire’s campaign team.

His death, Friday at the age of 81, was announced by his family in a press release mentioned in particular by the New York Times. The newspaper reported a few months ago that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The American president reacted very quickly on his Truth Social platform: “Robert Mueller has just died. GOOD. I’m glad he’s dead. He will no longer be able to harm innocent people.”

In his 2019 report, the prosecutor detailed a series of disturbing pressures exerted by the tenant of the White House on his investigation and said he was unable to clear him of suspicions of obstruction of justice.

Calculated austerity

Born in August 1944, Robert Mueller was only two years older than Donald Trump. Like him, he was a Republican, born into a wealthy family in the American Northeast, and attended prestigious schools. But the comparison stops there.

As much as the president is flamboyant, even outrageous, omnipresent in the media, Robert Mueller displayed calculated austerity.

Eternal dark suit, demure white hair, he did not seek to attract attention. At the head of the Russian investigation, Robert Mueller has always taken care to remain in the shadows, speaking through court documents largely protected by secrecy.

He delegated the hearings to his lieutenants. He never communicated with the press, leaving his spokesperson to deliver terse “no comment”.

Aware of the great respect that Mr. Mueller inspired, President Trump was careful not to attack him head-on, even if he repeatedly denounced an unjust “witch hunt”.

September 11

Robert Mueller served as an officer in the Marine Corps, earning a medal for his bravery during the Vietnam War, before embarking on a career as a senior civil servant.

After studying law, Robert Mueller notably worked as a federal prosecutor, investigating with the same tenacity against the Hells Angels gang, the mafia and dishonest bankers.

As number two in the Justice Department under President George Bush Sr., he oversaw the investigation into the attack on a Pan Am plane over Lockerbie (Scotland), which killed 270 people in 1988.

Appointed head of the powerful American Federal Police (FBI) a week before the attacks of September 11, 2001, Robert Mueller threatened to resign three years later if President George W. Bush persisted with a controversial extrajudicial wiretapping program.

In 2011, when his term expired after ten years of service, Democratic President Barack Obama asked him to stay for two more years. An extension then unanimously approved by the senators, proof of the great respect for his person.