What Was the Mueller Investigation? And What Did It Find? – The New York Times

What Was the Mueller Investigation? And What Did It Find?

The appointment of Robert S. Mueller III as special counsel to conduct an investigation related to a sitting president roiled Washington around the start of President Trump’s first term.

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By Mark Walker and Aimee Ortiz, March 21, 2026

In the years shortly after President Trump was elected to his first term, Robert S. Mueller III cut an impressive figure as an impassive and tight-lipped former F.B.I. director who, as special counsel, would get to the bottom of claims that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

But after the investigation turned him into a political target of Mr. Trump and his allies, Mr. Mueller came back to the public with an ambivalent finding in his famed 2019 report: He would neither absolve nor accuse Mr. Trump of a crime.

A liberal Republican, Mr. Mueller was known for his no-nonsense approach, and his tenure at the F.B.I. marked some of the most significant structural and cultural changes in the bureau’s history. All that would fade to the background in May 2017, when the Justice Department appointed him as special counsel in the Russia investigation — a role that would supersede Mr. Mueller’s legacy in American political history.

The contentious investigation of a sitting president shook Washington, and its findings fed an acrimonious debate between Republicans who seized the president’s language, calling the findings a vindication, and Democratic lawmakers who stressed that the report did not exonerate him.

As news of his death spreads, here’s a look back at some key moments of his notable role and investigation.

The Trump-Russia investigation

In May 2017, the Justice Department appointed Mr. Mueller, then a former F.B.I. director, as special counsel for the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. His job was to examine any links or coordination between the Russian government and associates of the president.

Mr. Mueller, also a former federal prosecutor, was appointed because of his unblemished reputation, after pressure from Democrats, and even some Republicans, for the Justice Department to conduct an independent investigation following the abrupt dismissal of the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey.

Over nearly two years, the investigation examined a broad campaign by Russia to influence the election, including the hacking and release of Democratic emails connected to his opponent, Hillary Clinton, and a social media operation aimed at American voters. It also scrutinized contacts between Russian individuals and Mr. Trump’s campaign advisers, as well as actions taken by the president after he took office.

The inquiry resulted in charges against more than 30 people and three companies on more than 100 criminal counts.

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