Recent revelations from former Trump official Kash Patel claim that burn bags filled with classified documents from the FBI's 2016 Trump-Russia investigation were discovered in a secret room at FBI headquarters. These bags—used for disposing of classified material—were allegedly never destroyed and date back nearly a decade. Patel claims the room, hidden by former FBI Director James Comey and others, also contained computer hard drives and documents never seen before.

Skeptics question the plausibility of these claims, raising several red flags:

• Why were burn bags never incinerated, despite standard government protocol requiring destruction within weeks?
• Why were they not discovered during the Trump administration or earlier in the Biden administration?
• Who would hide compromising material, rather than destroy it, knowing they'd lose access after leaving office?

The timing of the discovery is suspicious, especially as it aligns with renewed political scrutiny around the Trump-Russia probe and whistleblower allegations. Former CIA Director John Brennan and DNI James Clapper responded in a New York Times op-ed, defending their roles and denying that the discredited Steele dossier was used in intelligence assessments. However, Tulsi Gabbard and other critics cite House Intel reports suggesting otherwise, claiming the dossier was included in both the main body and annex of the 2017 intelligence report.

Bottom line: The story raises serious questions about internal FBI conduct, document handling, and the credibility of intelligence assessments—but also faces skepticism over its timing, evidence, and common-sense plausibility.

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