A government watchdog confirmed Saturday that it is reviewing allegations involving agency officials amid reports that special counsel Robert Mueller's team removed an FBI agent after an investigation into the agent potentially sending anti-Trump text messages.

The Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) indicated that its probe into the communications of agency officials is part of the watchdog's larger review of the FBI's actions before and after the 2016 presidential election.

"The OIG has been reviewing allegations involving communications between certain individuals, and will report its findings regarding those allegations promptly upon completion of the review of them," the OIG said in a statement.

BREAKING: Statement from DOJ IG regarding FBI agents removed from Mueller probe. pic.twitter.com/RTWpMIEV0X — Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) December 2, 2017

Peter Strzok, a top FBI agent who worked on the investigation into Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonJoe Biden looks to expand election battleground into Trump country Biden leads Trump by 12 points among Catholic voters: poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden goes on offense MORE's use of a private email server as secretary of State, was removed this summer from Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election over texts he sent to an FBI lawyer that could appear to contain anti-Trump views, The New York Times reported.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mueller reportedly removed Strzok after the inspector general opened an investigation into the text messages. The texts to attorney Lisa Page also appeared to include pro-Clinton views, The Washington Post reported.

The OIG said its review comes as a result of its January 2017 statement that it would look into actions by the Justice Department and FBI in its handling of the investigations during the 2016 election.

In the statement, the watchdog said it had set out to "consider whether certain underlying investigative decisions were based on improper considerations and that we also would include issues that might arise during the course of the review."

Mueller's investigation saw its most dramatic turn yet on Friday, when Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his communications with Russian officials that took place during the presidential transition.