DC Pipe Bomb Suspect Voted for Trump Twice, Now Seeks January 6 Pardon
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The attorney for Brian J. Cole Jr., the man charged with planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters on January 5, 2021, says his client may qualify for clemency under former President Donald Trump’s January 6 pardon directive.
Cole, 30, was arrested in late 2025 after a nearly five-year federal investigation into the unexploded devices found near both party offices the night before the U.S. Capitol attack. The bombs did not detonate, but prompted evacuations and a large-scale security response.
In a January 12 interview with FOX 5 DC, Cole’s attorneys revealed that he voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and said they plan to argue that Trump’s blanket clemency for January 6–related defendants should apply to Cole’s case, even though the bombs were placed on January 5.
Federal prosecutors allege Cole admitted during questioning that he planted the devices because he believed the 2020 election was stolen. Investigators say surveillance footage, cell phone location data, and purchasing records helped link him to the crime. Authorities also allege Cole continued purchasing bomb-making materials after January 6.
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Cole has pleaded not guilty and remains in federal custody after a judge ruled he posed a public safety risk. He faces multiple charges, including possession and attempted use of destructive devices.
Trump’s clemency order, issued on his first day back in office in January 2025, granted pardons or commutations to most defendants charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol breach. The order’s language broadly references conduct related to the events surrounding January 6, but its applicability to pre-riot offenses has not been tested in court.
As of January 13, Trump has not publicly commented on Cole’s case. The Department of Justice has also not addressed whether the pardon could extend to the pipe bomb charges.
The case remains pending in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
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