Pipe-Bomb Suspect Told FBI He Hit Both Parties Because They Were “In Charge,” Memo Says
Federal prosecutors revealed Sunday that the man accused of placing two pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee offices in Washington told FBI agents he targeted both parties because they were “in charge,” according to a Justice Department memo filed in federal court.
The disclosure raises new questions about motive in one of the longest unsolved episodes tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, and comes as prosecutors urge a judge to keep the suspect detained ahead of trial.
Officials laid out the allegations in a detention memo arguing that Brian J. Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, should remain locked up as the case proceeds. According to the memo, Cole told investigators he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who thought the 2020 election was stolen and that both major parties bore responsibility for the nation’s problems.
Prosecutors said Cole initially denied involvement after his Dec. 4 arrest but later confessed to placing the homemade devices outside the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters. The two pipe bombs, discovered Jan. 6, 2021, did not detonate. Investigators also recovered bomb-making components at his Virginia home.
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The Justice Department memo quotes Cole saying “something just snapped” as he grew disillusioned and that he didn’t “really … like either party at this point.” Demonstrating calculated intent, the memo was filed to support pretrial detention.
“The defendant wanted to do something ‘to the parties’ because ‘they were in charge,’” the memo states.
The affidavit underscores the potential danger the devices posed, even though they never exploded, and the urgency prosecutors place on keeping the suspect in custody. The case has been a priority for federal authorities since the bombs were first discovered.
What's to follow…
Cole’s next court appearance is scheduled in Washington’s federal court, where a judge will consider detention arguments from both sides.
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