Burn bag discovery shows how confident Obama was that Trump could never win

BS BRIEF:

• New discussion over FBI “burn bags” has reignited debate after President Donald Trump referenced documents reportedly recovered from burn bags discovered at FBI headquarters that were connected to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Officials have indicated the matter will be reviewed by the FBI, CIA, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as part of broader oversight efforts.
• The recovered materials reportedly include records tied to the 2016 Russia investigation, including what has been described as a paper copy of a CIA communication that has been the subject of renewed public discussion. The authenticity and significance of the documents remain part of ongoing review.
• The renewed focus shows continuing public interest in how the Crossfire Hurricane investigation was conducted, how sensitive records were handled, and whether any additional information will emerge from the government’s review.

BURN BAGS, CROSSFIRE HURRICANE DOCUMENTS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS TRUMP CALLS FOR REVIEW

Questions surrounding the origins of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation are once again taking center stage after President Donald Trump discussed the reported discovery of burn bags containing documents that had apparently been slated for destruction.

The issue gained fresh attention during an appearance on Katie Pavlich Tonight on NewsNation, where investigative journalist Catherine Herridge discussed the reported discovery and what she said could be its broader significance if the documents are authenticated and fully reviewed.

Herridge said many Americans remain frustrated by years of investigations that generated explosive allegations but, in their view, produced little accountability.

“I think there is a real frustration among the public that we keep hearing about these fouls, so to speak, and then nobody seems to be held accountable.”

Pavlich then asked Herridge about President Trump’s recent remarks concerning burn bags reportedly found on the ninth floor of FBI headquarters.

Herridge said the discovery immediately reminded her of records tied to the bureau’s original Russia investigation.

“This immediately took me to the burn bags that were discovered on the ninth floor of the FBI where they found the records about Crossfire Hurricane. That was the original 2016 Russia collusion investigation.”

According to Herridge, the reported cache also included what she described as a paper copy of a CIA communication concerning intelligence gathered during the 2016 presidential campaign.

“They also found what was a CIA note. It’s only a paper copy. It was from the CIA director to the FBI, and it had that intelligence about Hillary Clinton planning to paint Trump as a puppet of Russia.”

Those claims have fueled renewed interest in records connected to Crossfire Hurricane, though federal officials have not yet publicly released a complete inventory of the documents reportedly recovered or announced conclusions regarding their significance.

Pavlich then asked Herridge to explain what a burn bag is and why classified facilities use them.

“A burn bag is used in classified facilities or sensitive security facilities, and they take documents, and rather than shred them, they put them in the bags to be burned so that they are ultimately destroyed.”

Herridge said the reported location where the bags were discovered only heightened interest in the records.

“These bags were discovered at FBI headquarters. One was in a closet next to the director’s office with some of the most important documents about the Russia collusion investigations.”

Referring to President Trump’s recent comments, Herridge said the administration believes the documents were never intended to survive.

“We know now that they were supposed to be destroyed and there was some kind of mistake.”

She added that, according to the president, multiple intelligence agencies are expected to examine how the records remained inside FBI headquarters.

“The ODNI, the top intelligence official, FBI, and CIA… will investigate that.”

Crossfire Hurricane, opened in 2016 to investigate potential links between the Trump campaign and Russia, has remained the subject of intense political and legal scrutiny for nearly a decade. Reviews by the Justice Department Inspector General and Special Counsel John Durham identified significant problems with aspects of the FBI’s investigation, including serious errors in applications submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.