Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has been subpoenaed to appear for a deposition regarding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, even as sources tell reporters the 80-year-old former special counsel has been living in a memory care facility for the past few years.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer issued the subpoena Tuesday alongside a sweeping investigation into the Epstein case. The committee is seeking information about an FBI investigation of Epstein from decades ago, when Mueller served as FBI director from 2001 to 2013.
"NEW: House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Robert Mueller to appear for a Sept. 2 deposition to provide details from an FBI investigation of Jeffrey Epstein from decades ago — even though sources tell me Mueller has been living in a memory-care facility for the past few years," reported journalist Paul Sperry, citing anonymous sources.
The news of Mueller's reported health status, which has not been confirmed by officials, comes as the committee launched its most extensive probe yet into the Epstein matter. Along with Mueller, Comer subpoenaed former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, and multiple former attorneys general including Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, Alberto Gonzales, Loretta Lynch, and Eric Holder.
The committee is demanding the Justice Department provide all Epstein-related records by August 19. The depositions are scheduled throughout August, September, and October, with Hillary Clinton set for October 9 and Bill Clinton for October 14.
Mueller's cognitive abilities had previously drawn scrutiny during his July 2019 congressional testimony about the Russia investigation. During those hearings, the former special counsel appeared confused, frequently asked lawmakers to repeat questions, and struggled to recall key details from his own report. At the time, he was 74 years old.
Conservative commentators noted that Mueller "looked like a confused, stuttering, agreeable, lost and nervous doddering old man during his testimony to Congress in 2019," frequently paging through his notes.
The subpoenas follow a bipartisan vote by a Democratic-led Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee on July 23, which approved motions to compel the Justice Department to release Epstein files and witness testimony. Democrats sparked the move to subpoena the Justice Department for its files on Epstein, with some Republicans joining the effort.
The investigation has gained renewed momentum after Attorney General Pam Bondi recently declined to release additional information on the matter, prompting both parties to seek answers through congressional oversight.
Mueller returned to private practice at the law firm WilmerHale in October 2019 following his special counsel work. The former Marine Corps officer, who earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Vietnam, served as FBI director through both the Bush and Obama administrations.
Neither Mueller's representatives nor the House Oversight Committee have commented on how his reported health condition might affect his ability to provide testimony. The committee has not indicated whether alternative arrangements will be made if Mueller cannot appear.
Sources: Paul Sperry, NBC News.