The 30-year-old man accused of planting pipe bombs outside of the Democratic and Republican Party headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night of January 5, 2021, told investigators that he wanted someone to “speak up” about the 2020 election being stolen, according to the Department of Justice.
Prosecutors said on Sunday that Brian Cole Jr. gave a “detailed confession” about planting the pipe bombs and revealed that he didn’t “like either party at this point,” according to a DOJ memo, The Hill reported. Cole allegedly said that he was not a political person, but after Joe Biden’s win over President Donald Trump in 2020, he began following the news more closely, especially on YouTube and Reddit. Cole said that he believed “something was wrong” with the 2020 election and people felt “that their votes are like just being thrown away,” and someone needed to “speak up,” prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors argued that Cole should remain detained as the case proceeds. Cole allegedly told investigators that he had no intention of killing or injuring anyone with the pipe bombs, which is why he said he placed them at night. Cole said that he was “pretty relieved” when he learned that the bombs never went off after he set them to detonate one hour after he placed them, according to the DOJ. Prosecutors, however, argued that Cole’s alleged actions put people at risk regardless of whether he intended to harm anyone.
“Indeed, the defendant admitted that he set both devices to detonate 60 minutes after he placed them,” the DOJ memo stated. “His failure to accomplish his objectives does not mitigate the profoundly dangerous nature of his crimes.”
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He allegedly confessed to investigators shortly after his arrest and expressed support for Trump, as was previously reported. However, questions remain about whether Cole allegedly planted the bombs in response to Trump’s 2020 election loss, as the charging documents state that he purchased the materials for the bombs as early as May 2019, long before the controversy surrounding the 2020 election erupted. Cole has also expressed anarchist views, according to some reports.
The Daily Wire reported earlier this month that Cole was employed by a bail bonds company run by his father, which worked to free illegal immigrants from ICE facilities and sued the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security.
Cole, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was arrested earlier this month after investigators reviewed thousands of purchases, cell phone data, and license plates.
