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Republican Congressman Calls For Swift Investigation Following Disturbing Office Discovery

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Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) is calling for a full investigation after a disturbing image surfaced showing what appeared to be an altered American flag โ€” twisted into a swastika โ€” displayed behind one of his staffers during a virtual meeting.

The image, first reported by Politico and amplified on social media by an Ohio blogger, quickly drew outrage. But Taylorโ€™s office says it may not be what it appears.

โ€œI am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,โ€ Taylor said in a statement. โ€œThe content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.โ€

Taylor emphasized that he acted immediately, directing Capitol Police to investigate what he described as a potentially malicious act.

โ€œUpon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing,โ€ the statement continued.

A spokesperson for the congressman suggested the image might have been the result of โ€œfoul play or vandalism,โ€ not any endorsement of the offensive imagery by his staff. The photo appeared to show Angelo โ€œAJโ€ Elia, a legislative correspondent who joined Taylorโ€™s office in January, sitting at his cubicle with the doctored flag visible behind him.

Elia โ€” who recently earned a masterโ€™s degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University โ€” has not commented publicly. Taylorโ€™s office has not said whether any personnel actions have been taken while the investigation proceeds.

The controversy comes amid renewed scrutiny of conservative youth organizations after Politico reported on leaked Telegram messages allegedly showing racist and anti-Semitic comments from some Young Republican leaders. The timing of the leak, combined with the sudden surfacing of the photo from Taylorโ€™s office, has raised questions among some Republicans about whether politically motivated actors are attempting to smear conservatives ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

The image was first posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Ohio blogger DJ Byrnes, who claimed a friend had a Zoom meeting with Taylorโ€™s office and noticed the symbol. โ€œA friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylorโ€™s office today โ€ฆ Taylorโ€™s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background,โ€ Byrnes wrote Wednesday.

Cuban Regime Finally Loses a Longtime Fugitive: Joanne โ€œAssataโ€ Shakur Dies in Havana

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Havana, Cuba โ€” On September 25, 2025, Cubaโ€™s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Joanne Deborah Byron โ€” better known by her aliases Joanne Chesimard and Assata Shakur โ€” died in Havana at the age of 78 due to health complications and the rigors of old age.

This news brings to a close a decades-long saga in which a convicted murderer escaped justice, was shielded by a hostile foreign regime, and became a symbol for radical causes.


A Fugitiveโ€™s Origin: From Violent Crime to Escape to Cuba

In 1977, Chesimard was convicted on multiple serious charges including first-degree murder, armed robbery, and other felonies after a 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that left State Trooper Werner Foerster dead.

She escaped prison in 1979, spent years underground, and resurfaced in 1984 under asylum in Cuba โ€” a regime that refused U.S. extradition requests.

For decades, the United States and New Jersey authorities pushed Cuba to hand her over. She carried the dubious distinction of being the first woman ever placed on the FBIโ€™s Most Wanted Terrorists list, with a $1 million reward for her capture.


A Death Without Accountability

Her passing in Havana presents a bitter irony: after decades of immunity facilitated by a foreign government, she dies free โ€” far from the prison cell where she was supposed to serve life in the U.S.

New Jersey officials immediately expressed outrage. They reiterated that justice was never fully served for Trooper Foersterโ€™s family.

Cubaโ€™s complicity in harboring Chesimard has long been roundly condemned by American leaders. Senator Marco Rubio recently denounced Havana for providing โ€œa safe haven for terrorists and criminals, including fugitives from the United States.โ€

What She Represented โ€” and What the U.S. Must Learn

For defenders of law and order, her story is a cautionary tale of diplomatic failure and ideological double standards.

  • Rule of Law Must Be Absolute: A convicted cop killer escaping and living with impunity is a stain on the integrity of the justice system.
  • Foreign Regimes Should Not Shield Criminals: Cubaโ€™s refusal to extradite Chesimard fashioned her into a political symbol, rather than merely a criminal. That sets a dangerous precedent.
  • Consistency in Foreign Policy Matters: If the U.S. does not forcefully demand accountability from regimes that shelter fugitives, it weakens its moral and strategic footing.

Now that she has died abroad, the question of bringing her remains home may arise. But more importantly, the memory of Trooper Foerster โ€” his sacrifice and service โ€” must remain central. And the mission remains: to hold foreign governments accountable when they interfere with American justice.

Verdict Reached In Attempted Trump Assassination Trial

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Just in…

A jury has reportedly reached a verdict in the trial of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate then-candidate Trump on his golf course.

Routh was found guilty on all charges. Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen after learning the verdict. Multiple court marshals were needed to de-escalate the situation and temporarily removed Routh from the courtroom.

The case was heard by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who denied a motion from Routhโ€™s defense team seeking her recusal. A Trump appointee, Cannon was randomly assigned to the case.

Federal prosecutors alleged Routh camped near Trumpโ€™s golf course for 12 hours with a rifle and aimed at a Secret Service agent before being forced to drop the weapon. Investigators later discovered a letter in which Routh expressed regret that he failed to kill Trump, as well as evidence he sought anti-aircraft weapons and surveillance of Trumpโ€™s flights weeks before his arrest.

Routh was found guilty of the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple gun violations โ€” crimes carrying potential life sentences.

Routh faces up to life in prison. Routh pleaded not guilty to all charges.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

FBI Arrests โ€˜Anti-Trumpโ€™ Gunman Who Shot ABC Studio After Kimmel Suspension

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The FBI arrested the โ€œanti-Trumpโ€ gunman who fired three shots into a local ABC studio after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was suspended last week just hours after he posted bail in California.

FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday morning posted on X that Hernandez-Santana was taken into custody โ€œunder a federal hold for interference with licensed broadcasts.โ€

He added: โ€œTargeted acts of violence are unacceptable and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.โ€

Anibal Hernandez-Santana, the 64-year old suspected shooter, was arrested by the FBI on Saturday, one day after he opened fired on ABC 10 in Sacramento in a drive-by shooting. Hernandez-Santana had posted $200,000 bail earlier on Saturday before he was arrested by the FBI for โ€œviolating a statute that says no one can interfere with any communication of any station licensed by the U.S. Government,โ€ KCRA 3 reporter Peyton Headlee reported on Sunday.

The suspect is now facing federal charges and is ineligible for bail, according to Mediaite.

The suspect is now facing federal charges and is ineligible for bail.

Variety, over the weekend, reported Hernandez-Santanaโ€™s X account contained โ€œa steady stream of anti-Trump commentary.โ€

โ€œWhere is a good heart attack when we need it the most?? Please Join in my thoughts and prayers for the physical demise of our fearful leader,โ€ Hernandez-Santana posted last Thursday.

His attorney, Mark Reichel, told KCRA 3 that Hernandez-Santana is being overly scrutinized because of his anti-Trump posts.

โ€œIf you look at his social media, theyโ€™re going to say, โ€˜Boy, it sure shows that heโ€™s liberal and left wing.โ€™ So you think theyโ€™re going to overlook something like that? I donโ€™t think so,โ€ Reichel said.

The shooting happened during the early hours of Sept. 19, a day after a protest was held in front of ABC 10 following Kimmelโ€™s suspension. About 15 people showed up for the protest, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Kimmel had his show pulled after he implied the person who shot Charlie Kirk was a Trump supporter.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn Arrested

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Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn was briefly arrested this week in Cape Coral, Florida โ€” yet the setback may not slow what many believe is a mounting effort to reenter national politics.

Authorities took Cawthorn into custody on a warrant stemming from an August 19 citation for driving without a valid license in Naples. He was released shortly thereafter on a $2,000 bond and is expected to appear in court to resolve the matter. Supporters have dismissed the incident as a minor technicality, unlikely to derail his ambitions.


From Conservative Trailblazer to Political Lightning Rod

Cawthorn burst onto the national stage in 2020 as one of the youngest Republicans ever elected to Congress, winning his North Carolina seat at just 25 years old. He quickly became a symbol of youthful conservative energy and unapologetic defiance of the Washington establishment.

But his meteoric rise ran into turbulence during his lone term. In early 2022, he alleged that some D.C. elites had invited him to a cocaine-fueled โ€œorgy,โ€ a claim that drew sharp criticism from GOP leadership. Weeks later, police body camera footage showed him being pulled over while driving a car he mistakenly believed he owned, and he was also cited for bringing a firearm through airport security โ€” his second such incident in less than a year.

Republican leadership, once supportive, gradually distanced themselves. The controversies overshadowed his legislative work and contributed to his loss in the 2022 Republican primary.


Florida Could Offer a Second Act

Now, Cawthorn may be plotting a political revival โ€” this time from Floridaโ€™s 19th Congressional District, where Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) is expected to step down to run for governor. Axios recently reported that Cawthorn has been exploring a run to fill the soon-to-be-open seat, potentially offering him a clean slate and new political base in one of the countryโ€™s most Republican-leaning regions.

If he enters the race, Cawthorn could return to Washington older, more seasoned, and still armed with the anti-establishment instincts that made him a grassroots favorite. For many conservatives, his resilience โ€” and willingness to challenge entrenched power โ€” could be the very qualities the GOP needs in its next generation of leadership. for the second time in nine months.

Republican Lawmaker Gets Into Physical Altercation Outside US Capitol

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Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Things were heated on Capitol Hill this week…

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) was caught in a run-in outside the Capitol on Thursday with a protester who challenged him over his stance on Israelโ€™s campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

The Republican reportedly shoved the man, who he later claimed had intentionally โ€œbumpedโ€ into him after being approached near the Longworth House Office Building, according to Politico.

The incident occurred shortly after lawmakers wrapped up their final votes of the week.

Burchettโ€™s spokesperson Will Garrett defended the congressmanโ€™s reaction in a comment to Politico, saying the protester had crossed a line.

โ€œEveryone has a right to their opinion, and they can say all of the filthy stuff they want. But they donโ€™t have the right to bump the congressman,โ€ Burchett spokesperson Will Garrett said in a statement to The Hill

Capitol Police briefly detained and questioned the protester, though the department has not commented publicly.

Burchett, meanwhile, dismissed the confrontation with characteristic bite, telling reporters the activist โ€œhad bad breath.โ€

Last year, Burchett introduced a resolution to reject the United Nationsโ€™s decision to place the Israeli military on a list of childโ€™s rights abusers.

โ€œIsrael is our greatest ally in the Middle East and their leadership tries to protect life. Hamas, on the other hand, hides behind innocent civilians like a bunch of cowards. We need to make it clear to the United Nations that the United States completely supports Israelโ€™s efforts to wipe these terrorists off the map,โ€ Burchett said at the time. 

Woman Who Admitted Trump Death Threats To Secret Service Released By Judge

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A woman arrested last month for allegedly making death threats againstย President Donald Trumpย has been released by a federal judge who has clashed with the Trump administration several times this year.

Federal Chief Judge James Boasberg ordered the release of 50-year-old Nathalie Rose Jones under electronic monitoring and instructed her to visit a psychiatrist in New York City once she obtains her personal belongings from a local police station.

Her release comes after U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya had ordered her held without bond, citing alarming conduct, including online posts proclaiming willingness to “disembowel” Trump and stage his arrest, and statements admitting she would kill him with a bladed weapon at “the compound.”

Jones took part in a “dignified arrest ceremony” for Trump at a protest in Washington, D.C., which circumnavigated the White House complex and was arrested following an investigation into her series of concerning Instagram and Facebook posts. 

In early August, Jones labeled Trump a terrorist, referred to his administration as a dictatorship, and stated that Trump had caused extreme and unnecessary loss of life in relation to the coronavirus

“I am willing to sacrificially kill this POTUS by disemboweling him and cutting out his trachea with Liz Cheney and all The Affirmation present,” an Aug. 6 post directed at the FBI states.

The next day, Jones voluntarily agreed to an interview with the Secret Service, during which she called Trump a “terrorist” and a “nazi,” authorities said. 

She said that if she had the opportunity, she would kill Trump at “the compound” if she had to and that she had a “bladed object,” which she said was the weapon she would use to “carry out her mission of killing” the president.

Following the protest in Washington, D.C on Aug. 16, Jones was interviewed again by the Secret Service, during which she admitted that she had made threats towards Trump during her interview the previous day. 

She was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap, or seriously hurt the president and sending messages across state lines that contained threats to kidnap or harm someone.

However, Jonesโ€™s lawyers argued their client was unarmed and had no real desire to follow through with the threats, appealed Upadhyayaโ€™s detention decision, and Boasberg overturned Upadhyayaโ€™s detention order.

U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C.,ย Jeanine Pirro, whose office pushed for the indictment, blasted the juryโ€™s refusal on Tuesday.

“A Washington D.C. grand jury refused to indict someone who threatened to kill the President of the United States. Her intent was clear, traveling through five states to do so,” Pirro told Fox News in an exclusive statement. 

“She even confirmed the same to the U.S. Secret Service. This is the essence of a politicized jury. The system here is broken on many levels. Instead of the outrage that should be engendered by a specific threat to kill the president, the grand jury in D.C. refuses to even let the judicial process begin. Justice should not depend on politics,” Pirro added.

Judge Boasbergโ€™s Background
Judge Boasberg, a Barack Obama appointee, has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration. In March, he issued a restraining order halting deportations of Venezuelans under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, ordering planes to return to U.S. soil and demanding an investigation into compliance. He later threatened contempt proceedings, prompting appellate review and momentum that led to Supreme Court rulings affirming dueโ€‘process requirements. Trump publicly labeled Boasberg a โ€œRadical Left Lunaticโ€ and sought his impeachment. Additionally, Trumpโ€‘aligned officials, including AG Pam Bondi, filed a complaint over Boasbergโ€™s remarks warning of a constitutional crisis and criticizing the administrationโ€”remarks Bondi argued had no factual basis and undermined judicial impartiality. (RELATED: DOJ Files Complaint Against Judge Boasberg Over Anti-Trump Comments, Deportation Case Actions)

Recent Assassination Attempts Targeting Donald Trump

1. Butler, Pennsylvania Rally โ€” July 13, 2024

  • What happened: Former President Trump was addressed at a campaign rally near Butler, PA, when 20โ€‘yearโ€‘old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a nearby rooftop with an ARโ€‘15โ€‘style rifle. Trump was grazed in the upper right ear; one attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others critically injured. Secret Service counterโ€‘snipers neutralized Crooks seconds after he began firing.

Aftermath & investigations: A House task force released a report by December 2024. A Government Accountability Office audit (July 2025) found that the Secret Service failed to share vital threat intelligence internally, and suffered planning and communication breakdowns. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley criticized entrenched mismanagement and cited funding under a recent bill to help rebuild the agency. Meanwhile, six Secret Service agents received suspensionsโ€”the longest up to 42 daysโ€”for their roles in the security failure. The agency has since overhauled protocols, including deploying drones and increasing law enforcement coordination.

2. West Palm Beach, Florida Golf Course โ€” September 15, 2024

  • What happened: While golfing at his Trump International Golf Club, Trump was threatened by 59-yearโ€‘old Ryan Wesley Routh. The suspect was seen aiming a rifle from shrubbery. A Secret Service agent intervened, no shots were fired at Trump, and Routh fled but was later detained.
  • Legal proceedings: Routh faces federal charges including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate. He remains in custody, and a federal trial is scheduled to begin September 8, 2025.

READ NEXT: Trump Calls for RICO as the Answer to Sanctuary City Chaos

Hunter Biden Issues Blistering Response To $1 Billion Lawsuit Threat

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First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

Things are about to get ugly…

First Lady Melania Trump is threatening to sue former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, for $1 billion over “defamatoryโ€ claims linking her toย late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Melaniaโ€™s attorneyย Alejandro Brito demanded that Biden “immediately retract the false, defamatory, disparaging and inflammatory statements made about Mrs. Trump,” which were contained in a video interview with Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan and posted to Youtube in early August.ย 

Read the full letter:

“Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,” Brito wrote.

In the video interview, titled “Hunter Biden Returns” video earlier in August, the former first son claimed “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep.” 

Biden also claimed that “Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania, and thatโ€™s how Melania and the first lady and the President met.”

“If you do not comply with the above by August 7, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST, Mrs. Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce her legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for over $1 Billion Dollars in damages,” Brito wrote. “You are on notice.”

A source close to the matter told Fox News that Biden did not comply with the requests by the set deadline.ย 

After Fox News published the piece, however, Melania Trump got Bidenโ€™s reply addressing the attorneyโ€™s letter when Callaghan posted a further interview with him to YouTube on Thursday.

Callaghan, holding up a copy at the interviewโ€™s opening, declared: โ€œThe day of presidential litigation has arrived!โ€

โ€œWeโ€™re here, maybe, to give you the platform to apologize to the first lady for your statements that you made about her possible connection to Jeffrey Epstein,โ€ the host said to Biden.

โ€œF*ck that! Thatโ€™s not going to happen,โ€ Biden laughed.

Defending his comments as citation, Biden continued:

First of all is that, what I said was what I have heard and seen reported and written, primarily from Michael Wolff but also dating back all the way to 2019 when theย New York Timesย โ€“ I thinkย Annie Carneyย and andย Maggie Habermanย โ€“ reported that sources said that Jeffrey Epstein claimed to be the person to introduce Donald Trump to Melania at that time.

Biden added that he would not bow down to pressure or lawsuit threats: โ€œI also think theyโ€™re bullies and they think that a billion dollars is going to scare me.โ€

I have this to say to them: If they want to sit down for a deposition and clarify the the nature of the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein, if the president and the First Lady want to do that and all of the known associates around them at the time of whatever time that they met, Iโ€™m more than happy to provide them the platform to be able to do it.

The letter comes after the Daily Beast pulled the article detailing allegations by journalist Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Epstein, after a challenge from the first ladyโ€™s lawyers.

“Editorโ€™s Note. After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trumpโ€™s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding,” The Daily Beast posted in place of the article. The url for the article appears to have been amended to remove the original headline and now reads: thedailybeast.com/epstein-this-story-has-been-removed.

It also comes after famed Democrat strategist James Carville apologized to the first lady after repeating the same claim.ย 

Carville opened his latest episode of theย Politics War Room podcastย with a legal note.ย 

“In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum,” he said. “After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady. We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode. I also take back these statements and apologize.”

An aide to the first lady, Nick Clemens, toldย Fox Newsย in a statement, “First Lady Melania Trumpโ€™s attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods. The true account of how the First Lady met President Trump is in her best-selling book, โ€˜Melania.โ€™” ย 

Pennsylvania Man Charged For Allegedly Threatening To Kill Trump

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President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud at the Royal Court Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

A 22-year-old Pennsylvania man is facing federal charges after allegedly making violent threats against President-elect Donald Trump just days before he was set to take office.

According to the U.S. Attorneyโ€™s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Jacob Buckley of Port Matilda posted several alarming threats on TikTok under the username โ€œJacob_buckleyโ€ on January 16. His posts included, โ€œIโ€™m going to kill Trumpโ€ and other comments targeting MAGA supporters.

He also wrote on the TikTok account,ย “Iโ€™m going to kill Trump,” and, “Bro we going into a literal oligarchy in 4 days and im going to kill Trump,” according to prosecutors.ย 

Federal prosecutors confirmed that Buckley was charged by criminal information for threatening Trump as the incoming President. The investigation was led by the U.S. Secret Service.

“The maximum penalty upon conviction on the Information is 5 yearsโ€™ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment,” the office added.ย 

If convicted, Buckley could face up to five years in prison, along with fines and supervised release.

This case comes just weeks after another manโ€”37-year-old Carl Montague of Rhode Islandโ€”was charged for allegedly threatening to kill Trump and members of his incoming administration on Truth Social. Montagueโ€™s posts included violent threats aimed at Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Hidden FBI Files On Trump-Russia Probe Discovered In Secret Room, Patel Says

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I, Aude, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Thousands of documents turned over to…

WASHINGTON โ€” FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly uncovered a cache of sensitive documents tied to the origins of the now-discredited Trumpโ€“Russia investigation, according to sources with direct knowledge of the discovery.

The documents were allegedly found inside a concealed room at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., stored in multiple “burn bags” โ€” containers typically used for the destruction of classified materials. The material is now under active review, with portions slated for declassification and eventual release to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA). (RELATED: Trump Issues Ultimatum To GOP Leader โ€” Abolish This Rule Or Else)

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Among the most consequential items is a classified annex to former Special Counsel John Durhamโ€™s final report โ€” a document that had previously been withheld from public and congressional view. Sources say the annex contains the raw intelligence Durham reviewed and includes information gathered before the FBI formally launched its โ€œCrossfire Hurricaneโ€ probe into alleged ties between Donald Trumpโ€™s 2016 campaign and Russia.

The annex reportedly outlines internal warnings about efforts within the federal government to elevate unsubstantiated claims of collusion โ€” with some of the intelligence suggesting the narrative was intended to politically benefit the Clinton campaign.

Per Fox News Digital:

A source familiar with the contents of the classified annex told Fox News Digital that while it may not have been exactly clear in the moment what the intelligence collection meant, with the benefit of hindsight, it predicted the FBIโ€™s next move “with alarming specificity.”

“Ultimately, the release of the classified annex will lend more credibility to the assertion that there was a coordinated plan inside the U.S. government to help the Clinton campaign stir up controversy connecting Trump to Russia,” the source, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters that have not yet been made public, told Fox News Digital.

Not Stated, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“Mere days after this intelligence was collected, the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane,” the source said. “Itโ€™s really hard to see how Brennan, Clapper and Comey are going to be able to explain this away.”

Sources told Fox News Digital that Patel and his team discovered a previously undisclosed sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) in the FBI headquarters.

Patel, who previously served as a top national security official during Trumpโ€™s presidency, is now overseeing the review of the trove, which reportedly consists of thousands of pages and digital records. Some of the documents are believed to directly relate to early surveillance activities and internal deliberations within the FBI in 2016. (RELATED: [WATCH] FBIโ€™s Latest Target Isnโ€™t Who Youโ€™d Expectโ€ฆ)

The declassification process is being coordinated with top national security officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and NSA Director Gen. William Hartman.

Former FBI Directors James Comey and Christopher Wray have yet to respond to request for comment as of this article’s publication.

Grassley Expected to Lead Congressional Oversight

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Grassley, who has long pressed for transparency surrounding the Durham probe, is expected to spearhead efforts to bring the annex and related documents before Congress.

The development has reignited conservative concerns about politicization within federal agencies and the weaponization of national security tools for partisan purposes.

As the annex moves toward declassification, key questions remain: How did this material remain hidden for so long? Who knew of its existence? And what political or legal consequences could follow its release?