FBI Director Kash Patel is hinting that the government's most closely guarded secrets could soon see the light of day, including a stash of documents hidden in 'burn bags.' In an appearance on Sean Hannity's podcast this Tuesday, the 46-year-old FBI lead did not just stick to standard law enforcement talk.
Patel repeated his claim to Hannity that he discovered 'burn bags' associated with the 'Russiagate' probe in a secret room within the department. 'It's basically a large paper bag that you use to destroy and literally shred and burn classified information,' the director told the Fox News host. 'So we not only found burn bags in a room that was locked away in FBI headquarters… the room was also off the map. It wasn't on our blueprint.'
The files center on the FBI's investigation into 2016 Russian election influence, which Trump has long decried as a 'witch hunt.' Though Patel asserts he found the records in August 2025, his future remains uncertain. He currently faces rumors of an impending dismissal by the Republican President after Pam Bondi's sudden firing last month.
On social media, the director pushed back against his detractors, dismissing the criticism as 'baseless' and pledging to remain 'laser-focused' on his goal of 'rebuilding this Bureau from the ground up.' Patel has launched a defamation suit against The Atlantic after the magazine alleged he suffered from 'unexplained absences' and 'inebriation.'
UFO Disclosure and Transparency
During the interview, Patel also touched on a directive that effectively orders federal agencies to disclose information about unidentified aerial phenomena and the search for extraterrestrial life. 'Trump stood up an interagency process with the Department of War leading that effort to get out the documentation,' Patel told Hannity. He pointed to the seismic executive order signed by the President in February, which orders federal agencies to 'spill the beans' on UFOs. 'They're going to be publicly releasing this information very soon. We are all for it,' he added.
Discovery of Burn Bags
Back in July of last year, Patel revealed a discovery of a stash of documents sealed away in 'burn bags' in a secret room of the bureau. The documents consist of the classified annex to former Special Counsel John Durham's final report on the origins of the FBI investigation into Donald Trump's original campaign, which includes the underlying intelligence he reviewed, a spokesperson for the FBI told the Daily Mail. Durham examined the FBI's investigation into potential links between Trump campaign officials and Russia during the 2016 election and concluded the FBI should not have launched the investigation given the evidence it had at the time.
A person familiar with the discovery speculated to the Daily Mail that it was likely an oversight by previous directors that prevented the documents from being destroyed. The person added that it is likely the documents would never have seen the light of day if the FBI was not diligently looking through everything it comes across at the bureau. President Trump said he supported releasing the information at the time. 'I want everything to be shown, as long as it is fair and reasonable,' he said. 'I would like to see people exposed that might be bad, and we'll see how that all works out,' he told reporters at the White House.
A 'burn bag' is a secure container used by government agencies to dispose of classified or sensitive documents, usually by burning or shredding, to prevent unauthorized access. Patel, who used to be one of the FBI's most vocal critics, has set about remaking the bureau, including firing senior agents and reassigning others. When he began his tenure, he promised a 'wave of transparency,' including on the investigation into the possible ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.
