Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted political parties because they were 'in charge'

Summary

Brian J. Cole Jr., charged in connection with two pipe bombs placed outside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, told investigators after his arrest that he believed the political parties were “in charge,” according to a Justice Department detention memo. Prosecutors said the memo describes what they said Cole told FBI agents about why he chose those targets and how he viewed the 2020 election.

The memo says prosecutors have sought to keep Cole detained while the case proceeds, arguing he poses a danger to the community. It describes Cole’s alleged statements to investigators and points to evidence prosecutors say ties him to the pipe bomb placements.

According to the memo, Cole told agents he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who thought the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Prosecutors said he described that belief as grounded in a view that voting was being “tampered with” and “relegated null and void,” and he linked that outlook to wanting to act against the political parties.

Prosecutors said the memo also reflects Cole’s alleged statements about why he targeted the Democratic and Republican national committees’ headquarters. The memo said Cole told investigators he wanted to do something “to the parties” because they were “in charge,” and prosecutors said he later said, “I really don’t like either party at this point.”

Cole was arrested on Dec. 4 at his Woodbridge, Virginia, home, prosecutors said. During a search of his home and car after his arrest, prosecutors said investigators found shopping bags containing bomb-making components.

The memo says prosecutors contend that Cole initially denied any connection to the pipe bombs and disputed that he had been involved. Prosecutors said that during questioning, he first told investigators he drove to Washington on the evening of Jan. 5, 2021, to attend a protest related to the 2020 election, but prosecutors said that over hours of questioning he acknowledged he went to place the bombs.

Prosecutors said the memo describes how Cole, after acknowledging the placements, stowed explosives in a shoebox in the back seat of a Nissan Sentra and then placed one pipe bomb each outside the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters. Prosecutors said he set a timer on each device for 60 minutes.

The homemade devices did not detonate, prosecutors said, and the devices were discovered on Jan. 6, 2021, the afternoon Capitol rioters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the certification of the election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The memo said Cole told investigators he was “pretty relieved” that the devices did not explode because, prosecutors said, he did not want to kill anyone.

In arguing that Cole should remain detained, prosecutors said the fact that the devices did not explode was due to luck rather than lack of effort. Prosecutors also said his selection of targets risked lives of pedestrians and office workers and also risked law enforcement, first responders, and national political leaders who they said were inside the party headquarters or drove by them on Jan. 6, 2021, including the vice president-elect and the speaker of the House.

Cole’s lawyers will have an opportunity to argue for release ahead of a hearing set for Tuesday in federal court in Washington, prosecutors said.