Who Is Robert Mueller's Wife? New Details On Ann Cabell Standish
They were high school sweethearts.
Getty Robert S. Mueller is the former director of the FBI and currently leading the Special Counsel investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential elections. Depending on where you fall politically, you're either rooting for him to expose interference or hoping he won't. Regardless, we can all agree that he has had an impressive career.
He was appointed to the post of FBI Director by President George W. Bush. President Barack Obama extended his original 10 year term by another two years, making Mueller the longest serving FBI Director since J. Edgar Hoover. So, while he was keeping the U.S. safe all of those years, who was waiting for him at home at night? Who is Robert Mueller's wife? New details on Ann Cabell Standish.
1. They're high school sweethearts
Robert Mueller met his wife Ann Cabell Standish at a friend's party in high school when they were just 17 years old. While Robert was a student at Princeton, he invited her to visit for a weekend. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. Robert was entering the Marines after graduation so they got married Labor Day weekend 1966 before he shipped off to Vietnam. She got her teaching credentials during a year when she and Mueller lived in New York City. She worked as a special education teacher for kids with learning disabilities.
2. Their family
Ann and Robert have two daughters, Melissa and Cynthia. One of their daughters was born with Spina Bifada, a spinal condition that is present at birth. Ann and Robert are also grandparents.
3. Their routine is important to him
The couple's routine is important to Mueller. When he traveled overseas for work, he nearly always left on a Sunday and was back on Friday in time to take his wife out to dinner. In the years that Robert was the U.S. Attorney serving the district of Northern California and living in San Francisco, Ann and his daughters would pick him up from work. Mueller characterizes this time as one of the happiest in their lives.
4. He's deeply devoted to her
In his profile on the University of Virginia's law school website, Mueller said of Ann: “My wife is a true saint. Ann and I have been married since right after college. She has been through Vietnam. She has been through law school. She has been through everything. And she is just remarkable.”
5. 9/11 affected them profoundly
Robert Mueller was sworn in as the Director of the FBI on September 4, 2001. One week later, the world changed when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were hit with planes. At the time, Ann and Robert were living in a townhouse in Georgetown. For 10 years after 9/11 they never went out into public alone.
6. She forbid him from using online banking
In 2009, the Sydney Morning Herald ran a headline that said: "Wife bans FBI director from online banking." As it turns out, Mueller almost fell for a phishing scam and as a result, Ann banned him from using online banking. The newspaper reported that Mueller said, “After changing our passwords, I tried to pass the incident off to my wife … as a teachable moment.” Ann replied: "Well, it is not my teachable moment. However, it is our money. No more internet banking for you.”
7. She stood up for his employees
In a profile of Mueller in The Washingtonian, his leadership style as FBI Director was characterized as "a decision-making style reminiscent of his training as a prosecutor, executed with the authority of a Marine platoon leader.” His wife warned him that he was working his staff too hard. The magazine reported that Mueller responded to his wife by calling his counsel Chuck Rosenberg. “How are you doing?” Mueller asked. Rosenberg responded, “Fine. What can I get you, boss?” Mueller responded “nothing,” and hung up the phone. The point of the call was solely so that he could tell Ann he had checked in on his staff.
8. She went everywhere with him
By the time Mueller was sworn in as FBI director in 2011, Ann had moved 17 times back and forth across the country for her husband's career. Every single time she swore it was going to be the last move.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.