Former special counsel Robert Mueller has returned to his old law firm after spending more than two years away investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Mueller, 75, is rejoining the WilmerHale law firm in Washington as a partner who will take up his former area of focus: high-profile investigations and crisis management, the firm announced Tuesday.
"We couldn't be happier to have Bob, our extraordinary friend, and colleague, return to WilmerHale," Robert Novick, the firm’s co-managing partner, said in a statement. "Few lawyers have been entrusted with as many matters of national significance as Bob, in both his public service and in private practice. Bob embodies the highest values of our firm and profession. We’re privileged to work alongside him once again."
Mueller said in a statement that he was glad to be rejoining WilmerHale. He described it as a firm with "a tradition of honoring public service.”
“It was an honor to serve as special counsel. Now, I look forward to resuming my private practice alongside the talented lawyers at the firm," Mueller added.
Mueller’s two top deputies at the special counsel's office, Aaron Zebley and James Quarles, have also rejoined the firm after leaving in May 2017 to assist in the Russia probe.
Mueller led the investigation that focused on Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 election and whether those efforts were coordinated with the Trump campaign. In all, 34 people and three companies were indicted or plead guilty as a result of the probe.
In the end, Mueller found that based on the evidence his team was able to review, there was no such coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia’s activities in 2016. Mueller did not come to a traditional prosecutorial decision on whether Trump committed obstruction of justice.
