Kash Patel says he found a locked, unmarked room at FBI headquarters containing multiple "burn bags" of Russiagate documents that were not destroyed. He and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino described the cache as potentially significant to the Crossfire Hurricane probe and suggested some files may have been intentionally preserved. The disclosures come amid DOJ inquiries tied to claims about the Russia investigation, including a grand jury probe and a subpoena of James Comey. The allegations remain under scrutiny and have not been independently verified here.
Kash Patel Says Locked, Unmarked FBI Room Held 'Burn Bags' of Russiagate Documents
FBI Director Kash Patel speaks alongside acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during a press conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2026, following reports of a second indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.(Reuters)
Former acting Pentagon official Kash Patel said he discovered a locked room at FBI headquarters that was not shown on bureau blueprints and contained multiple "burn bags" filled with documents tied to the Russiagate (Crossfire Hurricane) investigation.
Patel discussed the find on the podcast "Hang Out with Sean Hannity," referring to an earlier account from former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino, who has described the same room and its contents. According to Patel, the bags were stored in a locked, hard-to-access space and the materials inside had not been destroyed.
What Patel And Bongino Say They Found
Patel said investigators located more than one "burn bag" — described as large paper sacks used to collect classified or sensitive documents for destruction — inside a room he said was "locked away in FBI headquarters." He told the podcast:
FBI Director Kash Patel listens during the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 18, 2026.
"They weren't burned, but the room was also off the map. It wasn't on our blueprint, and nobody had access to it."
Bongino previously called a file from the cache the "mother lode" of documents connected to Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI's 2016 probe into possible links between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia. He said one document appeared intentionally preserved and that the materials raised serious questions about what agency officials knew during the investigation.
"I'm reading this document, and I'm like, 'I can't believe this happened in the United States,'" Bongino said. "It wasn't just that it happened in the United States, it was that so many people knew about it... This thing was bulls--- from the start."
Broader Context And Ongoing Inquiries
The claims come amid continuing scrutiny of the Russia-investigation and related records. In July, former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard alleged the Obama administration advanced a narrative about Russian interference in the 2016 election that she later said was inaccurate. In August, the Department of Justice opened a grand jury investigation into Gabbard's assertions, and earlier this year the DOJ subpoenaed former FBI director James Comey about his role in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian election interference.
Patel's account has added to the debate over how the FBI preserved, handled, or destroyed records related to Crossfire Hurricane. The claims reported by Patel and Bongino are allegations; independent confirmation from the FBI or DOJ has not been presented in the podcast conversation cited here, and the matter remains under investigation by federal authorities.
Note: This article summarizes statements made by public figures and reports on ongoing inquiries; it does not independently verify the existence or contents of the documents described.
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