FBI Director Kash Patel has uncovered thousands of sensitive documents linked to the origins of the Trump–Russia investigation inside “burn bags” stashed in a hidden room at FBI headquarters, Fox News Digital has learned from multiple sources.
According to those sources, the “burn bag” system is typically used to destroy highly classified materials. However, Patel and his team reportedly found numerous intact burn bags packed with documents — some containing critical intelligence related to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, which launched in 2016 to examine alleged ties between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia.
Among the recovered materials was the classified annex to former Special Counsel John Durham’s final report. That annex reportedly includes the raw intelligence Durham reviewed during his investigation. The process of declassifying the annex is currently underway, coordinated by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, NSA Acting Director William Hartman, and Patel.
One source briefed on the contents of the annex said it included credible foreign intelligence suggesting the FBI intended to advance the Trump–Russia collusion narrative even before the formal launch of Crossfire Hurricane. “With the benefit of hindsight, this intelligence predicted the FBI’s next moves with alarming specificity,” the source noted.
The annex is expected to be delivered to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who plans to make it public.
In a recent interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, Patel revealed how he discovered the room — which he said had been hidden from previous oversight. “When I arrived at the FBI, I found a room in the Hoover Building locked and buried full of documents and hard drives no one had ever seen,” he said. “Comey and others made sure it was off the radar.”
Patel’s discovery is now part of a broader effort to turn over sensitive materials to Congress. His team is working through the documents, which span multiple high-profile investigations. The most recent trove was reportedly uncovered following an investigative request from Chairman Grassley.
Patel, who played a key role in unraveling the Trump–Russia collusion narrative as lead investigator for then-Rep. Devin Nunes, was instrumental in exposing surveillance abuses within the FBI and DOJ. He co-authored the 2018 House Intelligence Committee memo that revealed the Steele dossier — funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign — was central to securing FISA warrants to surveil former Trump aide Carter Page.
That memo also cited former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s closed-door admission that the warrant would not have been approved “without the Steele dossier.” However, the FBI failed to disclose the partisan origins of the dossier to the FISA court.
Patel’s continued investigation has now resulted in new criminal probes. He has opened cases into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey, following criminal referrals.
Meanwhile, Grassley’s office is reviewing the newly uncovered documents as part of its own oversight into intelligence community conduct during and after the 2016 election. The declassified annex to Durham’s report is expected to provide further insight into what Patel calls “one of the most egregious intelligence failures in modern U.S. history.”
As the story continues to develop, Patel’s findings are likely to intensify calls for accountability within the intelligence and law enforcement communities.
