The person who can cause 'difficulty' for President Trump

(Baonghean) - Robert Mueller - former director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - has officially returned to his "law enforcement" career when he accepted an invitation to become a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election. He is considered the most suitable person and capable of making things difficult for President Trump.

Mr Mueller (center) was appointed FBI director by President George W Bush just a week before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Photo AFP

A nice resume

Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is a well-known figure in American politics. He was originally a lawyer. After earning his university degree, he worked in private practice for a few years before spending 12 years working in US attorneys' offices.

He then returned to the private sector, then to government service, heading the criminal division of the Justice Department in 1990. He then went back to the private sector before serving as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California.

He took office exactly 1 week before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was a huge challenge for the FBI "boss".

On top of that, the agency is reeling from a series of events, including a deadly confrontation with the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, the discovery of an FBI agent who turned out to be a Russian spy (Robert Hanssen), and the release of documents taken from lawyers representing Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

According to US officials, in many ways, Mr. Mueller’s tenure as head of the FBI has been quite successful. His term, which was supposed to end in 2011, was extended by two more years by then-President Barack Obama.

Robert Mueller is described as a straightforward man who ran the FBI for 12 years. Photo AFP

One of the former FBI director’s greatest achievements was his successful transformation from a purely law enforcement agency to an intelligence-oriented organization to proactively deal with major security threats to the United States. Philip Mudd – “deputy” under Mr. Mueller said of his “boss”: “Robert Mueller is a very trustworthy person.

He's not one of the best, Robert Mueller, he's the best I've ever met,” former attorney general Eric Holder praised Mueller as uncorruptible.

Attorney Neil MacBride called Mr. Robert Mueller “the most respected prosecutor in America.” Indeed, with his important position, Mr. Mueller has demonstrated his true ability and convinced both parties to support him, even though he is a Republican.

Therefore, immediately after the US Department of Justice announced its decision to appoint Mr. Mueller as special prosecutor in the investigation into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 US election, both the Republican and Democratic parties welcomed it and considered it the most correct choice.

Political independence

Another important factor in Robert Mueller’s selection as special investigator was his straightforward personality and his “politically independent” way of working. One of the situations that made former FIB director Mueller famous was one night in the spring of 2004.

At the time, Attorney General John D. Ashcroft was very ill. It was reported that President George W. Bush sent two senior aides to his hospital room and “forced” Mr. Ashcroft to sign a decision to reopen the government wiretapping program that the Justice Department had previously declared illegal.

Upon learning of the news, Mueller and James Comey, then Deputy Attorney General John D. Ashcoft, raced to the hospital's intensive care unit where Ashcroft was being treated.

In an emergency, Mueller promptly stopped President Bush's intentions and successfully protected the privacy rights of the American people.

His integrity and fairness have helped the former FBI Director receive many requests for help in major US investigations even after his retirement. One example is Mueller's oversight of the disbursement of nearly $1 billion in compensation in the Takata Corporation case related to defective car airbags.

Or the National Football League (NFL) asking Mueller to conduct an independent investigation into allegations that league officials received and viewed a video of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Ray Rice beating his fiancée at an Atlantic City casino in February of that year.

After all, Robert Mueller is considered a true law enforcer, not influenced by political pressure to make any illegal decisions.

With his experience, Mueller was given a special position with expanded authority. According to the US press, with the title of special prosecutor, Mr. Mueller will operate with greater independence than a normal federal prosecutor or FBI director.

Many protesters protested against President Donald Trump after firing FBI Director James Comey - who was leading the Trump-Russia investigation (Photo: AFP)

Opportunity to clarify

The scandal surrounding the alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election and the relationship between US President Donald Trump and Moscow has been stirring up American public opinion for some time now. The country’s politics have also been constantly disrupted by related information.

From the resignation of senior security adviser Michael Flynn to the firing of FBI Director James Comey, all have made doubts about the relationship between the Trump administration and Russia a topic in need of answers.

According to the US press, as special prosecutor, former FBI director Mueller is responsible for supervising the work of the bureau's staff as well as other prosecutors in the investigation into Mr. Donald Trump.

Mueller is also given special powers that prevent him from being removed from the investigation until it is concluded. This authority, which is considered extremely broad, allows Mueller to conduct investigations that could lead to criminal charges, if necessary.

In Mr. Mueller’s style, the investigation could take years, as he encourages FBI agents and prosecutors to pursue every lead, interview every witness and consider any possible changes to the criminal case.

Observers say that giving Mr. Robert Mueller an important responsibility in this investigation helps clarify one of the biggest doubts in the United States today.

Thanh Huyen