Mueller talks about his values, work ethic, at granddaughter's graduation
Former FBI director Robert Mueller on Memorial Day made his first public appearance since he was appointed as special counsel for the federal investigation into Russian election meddling.
Mueller spoke at his granddaughter's graduation ceremony at the Tabor Academy in Massachusetts, a college preparatory school. He urged the young graduates to act with "honesty and integrity.
"In the end, it is not what we do, but how we do it," Mueller said. "Whatever we do, we must act with honesty and with integrity. And regardless of your chosen career, you are only as good as your word. You can be smart, aggressive, articulate and be persuasive, but if you are not honest, your reputation will suffer and once lost, a good reputation can never be regained."
Mueller talked about how his previous career of heading the FBI from 2001 to 2013 had defined his work ethic: placing integrity at the forefront of every judicial endeavor. Mueller is highly regarded by Democrats and Republicans alike for his integrity.
"[I]f you do not have integrity, nothing else matters," Mueller said. "For the men and the women of the FBI, uncompromising integrity, both personal and institutional, is the core value."
In mid-May, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein tapped Mueller to be special counsel after he had determined that "a Special Counsel is necessary in order for the American people to have full confidence in the outcome." Mueller is to probe any links or coordination between Russia and associates of the Trump campaign, as well as any other matters that arise from the investigation. The former FBI director had been in private practice, specializing in white-collar crime.
Mueller, who has spent the majority of his career as a public servant, also told the students that public service was not really a choice he made.
"I can say that I did not really choose public service. Rather, I more or less fell into it early on," he said. "When I look back on my career, I can say I never could have anticipated where I have ended up."
