White House says its problem was with 'political leadership' at the FBI when Trump said the bureau was in 'tatters' following turmoil on Mueller team – adding there is 'nothing to see here' Read more:

The White House on Thursday declined a chance to take a shot at special counsel Robert Mueller's probe after accusations of bias among some investigators – instead piling on fired FBI director James Comey. 

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders got asked whether the White House believed the Mueller probe was biased from the beginning, following the revelations that one top investigator got reassigned after sending anti-Trump text messages.

'We are fully cooperating said Sanders told DailyMail.com at the White House press briefing.

'As I said a few minutes ago we certainly felt like some of the political leadership at the FBI was problematic. We're glad that Director Wray is there. We feel like he's going to clean up some of the messes left behind by his predecessor,' she continued in response to a question by DailyMail.com.

Then she countered any suggestion of wrongdoing by saying there was 'nothing to see here' – a catch phrase sometimes used sarcastically, but not in this case. 

'And we look forward to this concluding soon, and showing what we've been saying all along that there was nothing to see here and there was certainly no collusion,' said Sanders. 

Sanders was asked about Trump-appointed FBI Director Christopher Wray, who issued a full-throated defense of his agents in response to questions about Trump's tweet that the bureau was in 'tatters.' Wray was grilled on the tweet at a House Judiciary Committee hearing.    We don't think that there is a discrepancy,' said Sanders. 'We agree with Chris Wray that FBI field agents are appreciated and respected. The president's issues are with the political leaders in the FBI under former Director Comey – particularly those that played politics with the Hillary Clinton email probe,' he said.

At the hearing, Republican Chairman Rep. Robert Goodlatte of Virginia brought up the problems on Mueller's team.

'It is absolutely unacceptable for FBI employees to permit their own political predilections to contaminate any investigation,' Goodlatte said. 'Even the appearance of impropriety will devastate the FBI's reputation,' he added. 

President Trump said the FBI's reputation 'is in Tatters'

President Trump latched onto news reports that said FBI agent Peter Strzok was pulled off the Mueller probe after anti-Trump text messages were found. Strzok was also a lead investigator on the Hillary Clinton email probe, with Trump now suggesting bias 

Mueller's team is coming under new pressure following the guilty plea by former Trump national security advisor Mike Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI on Friday

'Reports on the bias of some of the career agents and lawyers on current special counsel Mueller’s team are also deeply troubling to a system of blind and equal justice,' said Goodlatte. 'Investigations must not be tainted by individuals imposing their own personal political opinions.' 

Peter Strzok was dismissed from Robert Mueller's Russia probe and reassigned in August after he was revealed to have sent anti-Trump text messages to another FBI lawyer while having an affair, it was reported Saturday. 

Strzok worked on the FBI's Hillary Clinton probe, which did not result in charges being brought, and reportedly changed key language in Comey's statement about the decision in the summer of 2016. 

House Republican lawmakers are also putting Mueller and his team under the microscope. 

The scrutiny on Mueller's team follows the guilty free Friday by former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded in federal court to lying to the FBI.