Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the man who investigated alleged ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia, has Parkinson’s disease.
Mueller, 81, served as the sixth director of the FBI for over a decade from 2001 to 2013 and later investigated whether President Donald Trump and his team coordinated with the Russians, resulting in the infamous ‘Mueller Report.’
The former special counsel’s diagnosis came four years ago, Mueller’s family said in a statement to the New York Times on Sunday.
‘Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the summer of 2021,’ the family said.
‘He retired from the practice of law at the end of that year. He taught at his law school alma mater during the fall of both 2021 and 2022, and he retired at the end of 2022. His family asks that his privacy be respected.’
The 81-year-old has had trouble speaking and with his mobility, sources familiar with his situation told the outlet.
Mueller was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee to testify in the panel’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation in August.
However, the committee later announced that Mueller would not participate, citing the former FBI director’s health concerns. This decision came after reports emerged that the former special counsel was residing in a memory care facility.
Former special counsel Robert Mueller testified before lawmakers in July 2019 to speak about his investigation. He frequently had to consult his notes during the session
Former special counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation on May 29, 2019, at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. Sources say he is now in a memory-care facility
President Donald Trump often lambasted Mueller for a politicized investigation into the Republican’s 2016 campaign and its ties to Russia
‘We’ve learned that Mr. Mueller has health issues that preclude him from being able to testify,’ a congressional source familiar with the matter told the Daily Mail.
Though he has been out of the public eye now for some years, Mueller was originally asked to sit for a transcribed interview on September 2.
The committee later withdrew its subpoena for Mueller, citing ‘health issues’ that prevent his testimony.
The committee had been seeking information Mueller may know about Epstein from overseeing the FBI during the pedophile’s 2005 Florida prostitution case, a matter in which the FBI eventually intervened.
Many critics have said Epstein’s sentence in that case was too lenient.
One former lawmaker is now saying the signs of Mueller’s decline have been evident for years.
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have both been subpoenaed by Congress to testify about Jeffrey Epstein in October
Former FBI Director James Comey (R) was also compelled to testify about Epstein
‘It was clear this is where things were heading when we questioned him before Congress,’ ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., posted on social media this month.
‘Mueller was used by some very vicious people,’ Gaetz, now a conservative TV host, continued. ‘I’m not sure he really ever knew what was happening in the investigation.’
Mueller testified before Congress about his report in the summer of 2019.
During that hearing, the former special counsel struggled at times to remember the questions from lawmakers, often asking them to repeat their inquiries.
He also appeared flustered at times when trying to remember key portions of his probe.
During his testimony, he forgot that Fusion GPS, an opposition research firm, was behind the infamous Steele Dossier – a file that alleged false ties between Trump and the Russians that many presume was the origin of the Trump-Russia allegations.
Other top Trump and Obama administration officials will also testify in the committee’s probe into Epstein.
Bill and Hillary Clinton are both being asked to sit with the committee in October.
