Mueller received his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2021, his family said.
Former special counsel Robert Mueller, who previously investigated allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, according to his family.
Mueller received his Parkinson’s diagnosis in the summer of 2021 and retired from the practice of law later that year, his family told The New York Times.
“He taught at his law school alma mater during the fall of both 2021 and 2022, and he retired at the end of 2022,” his family said, requesting that Mueller’s privacy be respected.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive brain condition that may interfere with a person’s ability to walk or speak. The disease weakens nerve cells in parts of the brain, causing movement-related symptoms like “tremor, stiffness, and impaired balance,” according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Mueller had previously investigated alleged ties between President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russian actors. The probe ultimately found no evidence that they conspired to influence the election.
News of his diagnosis broke as the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued a subpoena to Mueller requiring him to testify on Sept. 2, following its probe into the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier charged with sex trafficking charges.
House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) wrote in an Aug. 5 letter that while Mueller was FBI director in 2007, the agency’s investigation of Epstein resulted in a draft 60-count indictment.
Epstein pleaded guilty to two prostitution offenses the following year, in exchange of a non-prosecution agreement that granted him and his co-conspirators immunity from federal prosecution, according to the letter. He died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019, while his associate Ghislaine Maxwell was ultimately sentenced to 20 years in prison for aiding Epstein to sexually abuse minors.
Comer said the committee believes that Mueller may hold information relevant to its investigation, given his position as FBI director when Epstein was being investigated by the agency.
“While the Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell’s cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government’s enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell,” Comer stated.
“The Committee may use the results of this investigation to inform legislative solutions to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations,” he added.
The Epoch Times was unable to reach the House Oversight Committee for comment about whether Mueller will be expected to appear in front of the committee given his family’s statement on his health.
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