In a twist that could rival any political thriller, career prosecutors in the Western District of Virginia are voicing their dissent against the Department of Justice’s probe into allegations that the FBI, under President Biden’s administration, clandestinely destroyed classified documents using ‘burn bags’—presumably to shield James Comey, among others, from damaging leaks to the New York Times.
As highlighted in a previous report, the DOJ is delving into whether the FBI, during Biden’s tenure, engaged in the covert destruction of documents to safeguard figures such as James Comey and John Brennan.
To jog your memory, Comey led the FBI from 2013 until his termination by Trump in May 2017, while Brennan held the reins at the CIA during the same period.
According to The Times, this investigation is fueled by a recent report wherein Kash Patel purportedly uncovered thousands of documents related to the so-called “Russia Hoax,” tucked away in ‘burn bags’ in a secretive room within the FBI.
Fox News also corroborated this development, stating that Kash Patel had unearthed these documents amidst the rubble of the FBI’s past ‘burn bag’ practices. Among the treasures hidden in these clandestine bags was the classified annex of the John Durham report, encapsulating the intelligence at the heart of the investigation.
In a recent move, CIA Director John Ratcliffe declassified this annex to Durham’s final report before passing it on to Senator Grassley, who subsequently made it publicly available.
Furthermore, Fox News reported that Patel and his investigative team stumbled upon a “previously undisclosed” Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) right at FBI headquarters—a tantalizing nugget of information that beckons further scrutiny.
Add to this mix the revelation that high-ranking FBI officials, formerly stationed at the headquarters, are now also under investigation.
Sparking even more intrigue, Trump-appointed Interim US Attorney Todd Gilbert, originally spearheading the ‘burn bags’ investigation, was ousted after allegedly resisting pressure to dismiss a senior prosecutor who deemed the evidence dubious. Now, a new US Attorney, also appointed under Trump, has taken up the reins of this contentious case. Meanwhile, career prosecutors from the Western District of Virginia have begun leaking details to the press, seemingly motivated to undermine the integrity of the investigation.
In a rather telling leak to the New York Times, these career prosecutors expressed skepticism regarding the necessity of criminal charges emerging from the DOJ’s inquiry into the burn bags.
According to sources familiar with the matter and reported by The New York Times, “Career prosecutors at the Justice Department do not believe criminal charges are warranted from an investigation seeking to discredit an earlier FBI inquiry into Russia’s attempt to tilt the 2016 election in President Trump’s favor.” Reportedly, one anonymous insider took the opportunity to critique Patel personally.
The Times noted, “One witness approached earlier this year was told that the investigation was being conducted at the specific direction of FBI director Kash Patel.” This lends a rather intriguing angle to the narrative, suggesting that political machinations could play a larger role in these proceedings.
NEW and BREAKING: Career prosecutors do not believe criminal charges are warranted in another potential prosecution being pushed by top Trump officials related to the FBI/2016 Russia investigation. One witness approached earlier this year was told the investigation was being…
— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) October 14, 2025
