Former Independent Counsel Ken Starr criticized Robert Mueller Wednesday for failing to take the necessary steps to ensure he had a fair and balanced staff working on the Russia probe.

Responding after Mueller's first of two hearings before the House, Starr told Fox News that he was disappointed with Mueller's handling of the investigation and that it was his duty as special counsel to ensure his team would operate in a fair and unbiased manner.

"I love Bob Mueller as a human being, as a patriot - but I think he's done a grave disservice to our country in the way he conducted this investigation," said Starr.

Although Muller reportedly prepared at length for the hearings, he was frequently tripped up throughout the hearing, often asking lawmakers to repeat their questions during his rapid-fire questioning on Capitol Hill.

After a Republican lawmaker questioned the Democratic leanings of some on his team, Mueller fired back.

EX-SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT MUELLER TESTIFIES TO CONGRESS -- LIVE BLOG

"I've been in this business for almost 25 years, and in those 25 years, I have not had occasion once to ask somebody about their political affiliation. It is not done," he said.

Mueller also acknowledged, under questioning from Republicans, being friends with former FBI director James Comey and addressed anti-Trump texts sent by then-FBI agent Peter Strzok, saying he moved to "swiftly" reassign Strzok from the probe when he learned of them.

"You don't have to ask to know that your Andrew Weissman types are very, very partisan," said Starr, referring to Mueller's top prosecutor.

He questioned what Mueller did to ensure he had a "fair and balanced" group of investigators.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) also questioned Mueller's role on his team and suggested he was removed from the work.

MUELLER REFUSES TO DISCUSS RUSSIA PROBE ORIGINS, STEELE DOSSIER IN TESTIMONY

“The more this hearing goes on, the more it becomes painfully clear that not only did Bob Mueller not write his own report — he was barely involved or in control of it at all,” Meadows wrote on Twitter. “You know who was? His team of Democrats. This was a resistance-driven partisan witch hunt all along."

Later, Meadows reiterated his frustration tweeting "Mueller still struggling to answer even basic questions. He can’t accurately remember facts, evidence, or even his own conclusions. Folks—this guy didn’t run the investigation. His team of Resistance Democrats did. And they used it as a weapon to target a President they hated."

Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, also took to Twitter to attack the former special counsel.

How ridiculous Mueller ignored politics in hiring. By coincidence, he hired no Trump supporters,18 Trump haters, large Clinton contributors, and an ethically challenged prosecutor. Mueller never looked at FBI reports," he wrote on Twitter.

"Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace, echoed a similar sentiment.

"I think this has been a disaster for the Democrats and I think it's been a disaster for the reputation of Robert Mueller. He has seemed very uncertain with his brief. He doesn't seem to know things that are in the report," Wallace told Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum during Fox News Channel's all-day coverage of the House hearings.