Former FBI Director and special counsel Robert Mueller has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a condition revealed by his family this week. The diagnosis, confirmed to have occurred in the summer of 2021, has severely impaired his speech and mobility.
As a result, a pending congressional subpoena aimed at securing Mueller’s testimony in an investigation into the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case has been formally withdrawn. The House Oversight Committee, led by Chair James Comer, acknowledged Mueller’s health challenges and acknowledged he is unable to appear.
Robert Mueller, aged 81, served as FBI Director from 2001–2013 and carried out a landmark investigation as special counsel in the Russia probe during the Trump administration. Following his diagnosis, he retired from practicing law in 2021 and from academic duties by the end of 2022.
Mueller’s family has requested privacy during this difficult time, underscoring the personal gravity of the disclosure amid ongoing high-profile legal inquiries.