FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino revealed Thursday that newly discovered documents from former FBI Director James Comey’s tenure were found in a room that had not previously been disclosed to current bureau leadership. The unexpected discovery has prompted renewed internal reviews and efforts to declassify materials.

Speaking during an appearance on Fox News, Bongino described the room as “hidden from us, at least,” and said the contents raised serious questions. “We found stuff in there, and a lot of it’s from the Comey era. We are working hard right now to get that material declassified,” he said.

However, Bongino clarified that not all of the contents can be made public immediately. “The process isn’t entirely in our hands. Some of the information belongs to other intelligence agencies, and we’re legally limited in what we can declassify without their cooperation,” he explained.

While specific details were not shared, Bongino indicated that the contents of the room had not been handled according to typical FBI record-keeping procedures. “We found documents in bags—this stuff was not processed properly or entered into official records. You’re going to be stunned when you see what was overlooked,” he said.

The revelations came amid questions about past leadership practices at the bureau and concerns about possible misconduct.

Adding to the controversy was a recent Instagram post by James Comey, featuring seashells spelling out “8647.” Some interpreted the message as a coded statement referencing the removal of Donald Trump, who would be the 47th president if elected again. The term “86” is often used as slang for “eliminate” or “reject.”

Trump responded to the post by accusing Comey of encouraging violence, saying the former director “knew exactly what that meant.” Comey, now an author of crime fiction, has denied any such intention, saying the post was simply an innocent moment from a beach walk and suggested it was his wife who asked him to take the picture.

“I regret the distraction,” Comey said in an interview. “But I honestly didn’t think twice about it—it looked totally harmless to me.”

FBI Director Kash Patel weighed in, saying that Comey’s post led to multiple copycat incidents across the country. According to Patel, agents had to be diverted from active investigations into serious crimes like child exploitation and narcotics trafficking to monitor threats that appeared to mimic the imagery and messaging of the former director’s post.

“We’ve seen a spike in alarming social media behavior,” Patel stated. “It’s unfortunate we’ve had to reassign resources from critical missions to respond to this fallout.”

The FBI said it is in contact with the Secret Service, which has primary jurisdiction over threats involving high-profile government officials. The agencies continue to collaborate to ensure all potential risks are investigated thoroughly.

The events come amid a broader atmosphere of heightened security and rising concern about public rhetoric surrounding current and former government officials.