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'''Robert Swan Mueller III''' (born August 7, 1944) was [[FBI]] director from 2001 until 2013. In May 2017, Deputy Attorney General [[Rod Rosenstein]] appointed Mueller special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and if collusion existed between the Russian government and Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for president.<ref>"[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-appoints-special-counsel-in-wake-of-comey-developments/ Robert Mueller appointed special counsel]", CBS News, May 17, 2017</ref> Mueller was appointed to a ten-year term as FBI director by President [[George W. Bush]]. His term was extended by President [[Barack Obama]]. Mueller is a central figure in both the [[Uranium One bribery scandal]] and the [[Trump-Russia investigation]].

'''Robert Swan Mueller III''' (born August 7, 1944) was [[FBI]] director from 2001 until 2013. In May 2017, Deputy Attorney General [[Rod Rosenstein]] appointed Mueller special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and if collusion existed between the Russian government and Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for president.<ref>"[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-appoints-special-counsel-in-wake-of-comey-developments/ Robert Mueller appointed special counsel]", CBS News, May 17, 2017</ref> Mueller was appointed to a ten-year term as FBI director by President [[George W. Bush]]. His term was extended by President [[Barack Obama]]. Mueller is a central figure in both the [[Uranium One bribery scandal]] and the [[Trump-Russia investigation]].

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Although by law the position of FBI Director is limited to 10 years, in 2011 when Dir. Mueller's term expired there was widespread mistrust in President Obama's ability to appoint a new director to a 10-year term to investigate a myriad of questionable associations and dealings within the [[Obama administration]], given the Independent Counsel law had lapsed and an administration would be free to appoint a special counsel to investigate itself rather than a 3-judge panel under the old law. With a bi-partisan consensus, Mueller was asked to stay on an additional two-years until after the [[2012 Presidential election]]. Upon re-election, Obama appointed [[James Comey]] to fill the ten-year term, who subsequently was as fired by President [[Donald Trump]] for mishandling of the [[Hillary Clinton email scandal]] which brought the Federal Bureau of Investigation into disrepute among Clinton supporters and opponents, the Congress, and the public at large.

Although by law the position of FBI Director is limited to 10 years, in 2011 when Dir. Mueller's term expired there was widespread mistrust in President Obama's ability to appoint a new director to a 10-year term. A myriad of questionable associations and dealings within the [[Obama administration]] went unresolved. The old Independent Counsel law lapsed, which required a panel of 3 judges to appoint an independent counsel. Under existing law [[Eric Holder]] would have to appoint a Special Counsel to prosecute himself after he was held in [[contempt of Congress]] for obstructing the [[Fast and Furious]] investigation.

 

With a [[bi-partisan]] consensus, Mueller was asked to stay on an additional two-years until after the [[2012 Presidential election]]. Upon re-election, Obama appointed [[James Comey]] to fill the ten-year term, who subsequently was as fired by President [[Donald Trump]] for mishandling of the [[Hillary Clinton email scandal]] which brought the Federal Bureau of Investigation into disrepute among Clinton supporters and opponents, the Congress, and the public at large.

==Background and career==

==Background and career==