The special counsel's office has finally handed over its highly anticipated report on the investigation into Russian election interference and possible collusion with Donald Trump's campaign—a probe led by former FBI director Robert Mueller.
Mueller, 74, was appointed as special counsel in May 2017 to oversee the controversial probe into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election. At the time, he said he would serve in the position "to the best of my ability." He is only the second special counsel ever appointed in the history of the Justice Department.
In 2018, Mueller was on the short list to receive Time's "Person of the Year" award for his work as special counsel.
Throughout the investigation, Mueller has been constantly criticized by Trump and those in his inner circle. The president has repeatedly tried to undermine the Russia probe by calling it a baseless "witch hunt" that has gone too far.
Trump has particularly taken to incorrectly referring to Mueller and a Democrat, even though a review by Fox News (the network favored by the president) determined Mueller to be the "only known Republican" of the 17 people on the special counsel team.
Trump has also slammed Mueller as a "best friend "of "lyin'" James Comey, despite there being no current evidence to support the claim that the two are close associates. Comey, a former FBI director, was fired by Trump in May 2017 ostensibly over his handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct official business.
"Unfortunately, you put the wrong people in a couple of positions and they leave people for a long time that shouldn't be there and all of a sudden they are trying to take you out with bulls**t, OK?" Trump said in his CPAC speech earlier this month.
Mueller had previously served as the director of the FBI for over a decade, joining the agency just before the September 11 attacks in 2001. His 12 years leading the FBI is one of the longest tenures in history, just behind J. Edgar Hoover. Technically he was supposed to step down in 2011 (Congress set a 10-year term limit for the position) but his leadership was extended after the Obama administration struggled to find a successor deemed acceptable by Democrats and Republicans.
After leaving the FBI, Mueller became a law partner at the firm WilmerHale. In one of his more high-profile cases, Mueller was hired by the National Football League to inquire about domestic abuse cases against players.
Mueller, a military veteran, was awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and two Navy Commendation Medals for his service in Vietnam.
Mueller's exact net worth is hard to pin down. But, according to a 2017 report by Politico, Mueller listed assets belonging to him and his wife valued somewhere between $4.2 million and $15.2 million. And according to Money magazine, he is likely making a six-figure salary in his role as special counsel.
The special counsel completed its investigation on Friday, as Mueller handed off his report to Attorney General Barr. Barr, who was just confirmed to the Cabinet role by Congress earlier this year, has said he intends to advise the House Judiciary Committee on the "principal findings" of the report as soon as this weekend.
I remain committed to as much transparency as possible, and I will keep you informed as to the status of my review," Barr wrote in a letter to congressional leaders on Friday afternoon.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alexandra Hutzler is currently a staff writer on Newsweek's politics team. Prior to joining Newsweek in summer 2018, she was ... Read more
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