‘I wouldn’t call it hidden, but hidden’: Dan Bongino says Comey-era FBI evidence discovered in bags

In what felt like a cross between a spy thriller and a bad storage audit, Dan Bongino—now Deputy Director of the FBI and former MAGA-favorite pundit— told Fox News this week a tantalizing tidbit. According to Bongino, someone found bags of evidence allegedly tied to the James Comey era in a “hidden” area at FBI headquarters.

“I wouldn’t call it hidden, but hidden,” Bongino said cryptically during his segment on Fox & Friends, giving his conspiracy theory fans a whole lot of nothing to work with. The hosts feigned skepticism, nodding along with just enough to appear to be journalists, as the comments hung in the air like the cigar smoke of a conspiracy theory just getting lit.

“We found stuff. A lot of stuff”

Bongino didn’t exactly explain what was in the bags or why they were hidden. He did clarify they were hidden “under Jim Comey’s FBI” (like, under the building?). Nonetheless, the implication was clear: The FBI under Comey left behind some skeletons. Add to that, possibly some classified files—in a metaphorical (and perhaps literal) closet. He suggested that the discovery adds more fuel to the narrative that the FBI was a politically compromised mess.

Bongino’s comments come amid a shake-up at the Bureau. Bongino and Director Kash Patel have launched what Comey critics say is a political cleanup operation. The purported “bags in the room” are the latest trophy in this campaign.

From late-night Instagram to bureau baggage

Meanwhile, Bongino’s Fox News appearance follows a high-stakes spat over a mysterious Instagram post from Comey. Comey recently shared a photo of seashells arranged to spell “86 47.” Many interpreted it as a call to “86” (i.e., get rid of) Donald Trump, the 47th president. Not exactly subtle.

Patel was not amused. In a statement to the New York Post, Patel said the post led to a flood of copycats. “We’ve had to pull agents off of high-priority cases—child trafficking, drug smuggling—just to deal with this nonsense,” Patel said.

So yes, that’s the current state of the FBI: former directors posting cryptic seashell art, while the new leadership is treating it like a national security threat.

Comey, Patel, and Trump: a love triangle of loathing

To understand why all of this matters, you have to revisit feuds that define the Trump-FBI drama. Comey was famously fired by Trump in 2017 after refusing to pledge loyalty. He also declined to back off the Russia probe. He later called Trump “morally unfit” for office, which—shockingly—didn’t earn him an invitation back.

Patel, on the other hand, made his name in Trump-world by working to discredit the Mueller investigation and push the “deep state” narrative. Appointed as FBI Director in early 2025, Patel quickly installed allies like Bongino, who has never been shy about his disdain for Comey or the Bureau’s pre-Trump leadership.

The Bongino-Patel FBI has since gone into overdrive, reopening cold cases like the 2022 Supreme Court leak, the pipe bombs from January 6, and even the infamous White House cocaine mystery. The alleged bagged evidence may be used to fuel these probes—or at least justify them.