Bondi Grand Jury Advances On Obama Officials Over 2016 Russia Report

The Justice Department is investigating whether senior FBI officials mishandled classified materials tied to the bureau’s Russia probe.

A source confirmed to CBS News that the documents were discovered inside “burn bags” at FBI headquarters, containers usually reserved for destroying sensitive files. The materials are connected to Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI’s 2016 investigation into possible ties between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia.

FBI Director Kash Patel said last month that thousands of Russia-related files were uncovered in the bags, which he claimed had been hidden.

Patel later wrote on X, “We just uncovered burn bags/room filled with hidden Russia Gate files.”

The FBI opened Crossfire Hurricane during the 2016 campaign and continued it into Trump’s first term. Former Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller concluded Russia interfered in the election with the goal of helping Trump. Mueller did not accuse Trump or his aides of criminal coordination with Moscow.

A 2017 intelligence community report also found Russia sought to influence the election and developed a preference for Trump. Those findings have long been challenged by Trump and his allies, who have called the probe a hoax and a witch hunt.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents last month that she said undercut the 2017 report.

Gabbard accused Obama-era officials of a “treasonous conspiracy” and a “years-long coup” against Trump. She said she would refer the matter to the Justice Department for possible charges.

Former President Barack Obama’s spokesman Patrick Rodenbush dismissed the allegations as “bizarre” and “ridiculous.”

Patel, a frequent critic of the FBI, has argued the agency acted with bias and ignored protocol.

In 2023, he published Government Gangsters, describing the FBI as “thoroughly compromised” and part of a “Deep State” effort to undermine Trump. Years later, Trump-era special counsel John Durham described the investigation as “seriously flawed.”

Now, the Justice Department is preparing for a federal grand jury that could focus on Obama officials involved in the 2016 assessment of Russian interference.

Attorney General Pam Bondi authorized prosecutors to examine statements and testimony from Obama-era leaders regarding Trump’s campaign and Russia.

The move directly targets what Trump has long called the “Russia Hoax.”

The New York Times reported prosecutors could present the case to a grand jury in South Florida if the evidence is sufficient.

Speculation among legal experts has centered on Florida as a favorable venue for Trump, Newsweek reported.

The decision to move the case outside Washington would serve as a tactical win for him.

Bondi’s action comes as the Senate confirmed Judge Jason A. Reding Quiñones as the first U.S. attorney of Trump’s second term. His appointment has fueled speculation that the Southern District of Florida could be the site for the grand jury.

Attorney James Burnham called South Florida the “logical” choice, pointing to setbacks the Trump administration suffered in Washington.

“All eyes on the Southern District of Florida and its newly confirmed U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones,” Burnham wrote on X.

Trump won Florida with 56.1 percent of the vote in 2024.

Federal grand juries are drawn from local communities, meaning a South Florida panel would likely be more favorable to Trump than one in Washington.

In the District, juries are selected from a heavily Democratic population, where Trump received only 6.6 percent of the vote in 2024.

The Justice Department has not announced a timeline for when or where a grand jury could be seated. The FBI and the Justice Department declined to comment on the status of the probe.

The inquiry, combined with Bondi’s push for a grand jury, marks the most aggressive challenge yet to the 2017 assessment. It also reflects Trump’s demand for accountability against officials he accuses of waging a political campaign against him.

The discovery of the burn bags has given new life to those claims. And with prosecutors weighing charges against former Obama officials, the political fight over the 2016 election appears far from over.