Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit this week against the Department of Justice over “burn bags” discovered in a secure SCIF at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The organization is seeking records from five burn bags reportedly found in Room 9582, including unclassified documents related to the Mar-a-Lago search, January 6 Capitol breach, the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, and the Classified Appendix to the John Durham Special Counsel probe.
The FOIA request also seeks a Vaughn Index for any classified records, detailing titles, dates, classification levels, origins, and justification for withholding. Judicial Watch is requesting related intelligence, including the CIA referral to former FBI Director James Comey from 2016, along with unclassified internal review materials, badge access logs, employee interview notes, and assessments of compliance with National Archives rules.
FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly uncovered the burn bags in July 2025. Patel said the files, including the Durham annex, were declassified and contained evidence suggesting the intelligence community had “credible foreign sources” indicating the FBI would help spread the alleged collusion narrative before Crossfire Hurricane officially began.
Read the Judicial Watch Press Release
