Robert Mueller III is a lawyer who served as the sixth director of the FBI from September 4, 2001 to September 4, 2013.
Mueller, 72, was born in New York City in 1944. He served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps for three years during the Vietnam War. He received several commendations, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, for his service.
He went on to study law at the University of Virginia and worked as a litigator in San Francisco before going into public service.
He joined the U.S. Department of Justice in 1989. There, he worked on several high profile cases, including the prosecution of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and crime boss John Gotti. He worked in the private sector from 1993-95 and then returned to public service.
In 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Mueller as the FBI director. He started the job a week before the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. That changed the FBI focus to counter terrorism.
President Barack Obama asked Mueller to continue as FBI director for two years longer than his 10-year term. He was replaced by James Comey on September 4, 2013.
