The head of the FBI has defended its work after a classified memo was released accusing it of abuse of power and bias against US President Donald Trump.
Christopher Wray sent a statement to the agency's employees saying he stands with them.
"I stand by our shared determination to do our work independently and by the book," Mr Wray said in a statement to FBI staff.
"Talk is cheap. The work you do is what will endure," he added.
"You've all been through a lot in the past nine months and I know it's often been unsettling, to say the least. And the past few days haven't done much to calm those waters," he said.
"Let me be clear: I stand fully committed to our mission... I stand with you."
Mr Trump approved the release of a memo by congressional Republicans alleging abuse of power by the FBI and US Department of Justice in their handling of an investigation into Mr Trump's election campaign's ties to Russia.
Mr Trump wrote on Twitter ahead of the memo's release that the FBI's top leadership and the Justice Department had policitised the investigative process in favour of Democrats.
The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank & File are great people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018
The memo's release raised concerns that Mr Wray could be forced out of the FBI just six months after being appointed by Mr Trump.
Mr Trump fired Mr Wray's predecessor James Comey last May.
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Mr Wray's letter to staff made no direct reference to the memo or Mr Trump's comments, and did not suggest that he plans to leave.
He praised the agency's high integrity, work ethic and professionalism that is "unrivalled anywhere in the world".
"We speak through our work. One case at a time. One intelligence product at a time. One decision at a time," he wrote.
"We stay laser-focused on doing great work, even when it's not easy, because we believe in the FBI."
Democrats said the four-page memo mischaracterises highly sensitive classified information and was intended to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's criminal probe into the Russia matter launched in May 2017 that grew out of an earlier FBI investigation.
They warned Mr Trump against using it as a pretext to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who hired Mr Mueller and oversees the investigation, or Mr Mueller himself.
Mr Mueller is also examining whether Mr Trump has committed obstruction of justice in trying to thwart the Russia probe.
Asked by reporters whether the memo made him more likely to fire Mr Rosenstein or whether he had confidence in him, Mr Trump replied: "You figure that one out."
Dismissing Mr Rosenstein would likely ignite a huge political firestorm, as his firing of Mr Comey did.
A White House official later said there have been no discussions about firing Mr Rosenstein.
When asked about the potential dismissal of Mr Rosenstein, White House press spokesman Raj Shah told CNN later that there would be "no changes" at the Justice Department.
"We fully expect Rod Rosenstein to continue on as the deputy attorney general," he said.
The memo alleges that the FBI concealed the Democratic ties of a source the agency used to justify surveillance on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser with ties to Russia.
The memo revealed the names of senior FBI and Justice Department officials including Mr Rosenstein who it said had signed off on this.
"I think it's a disgrace what's happening in our country," Mr Trump told reporters when asked about the memo, adding that "a lot of people should be ashamed of themselves".
